Smoking & How to Quit

Fast Facts

The risk of dying from lung cancer is about 12 times higher among women who smoke cigarettes compared with women who never smoked.
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Make the Decision to Quit and Feel Great!

If you have made the decision to quit smoking, congratulations! Not only will you improve your own health, you will also protect the health of your loved ones by no longer exposing them to secondhand smoke.

We know how hard it can be to quit smoking. Did you know that many people try to quit two or three times before they give up smoking for good? Nicotine is a very addictive drug—as addictive as heroin and cocaine. The good news is that millions of people have given up smoking for good. It's hard work to quit, but you can do it! Freeing yourself of an expensive habit that is dangerous to your health and the health of others will make you feel great!

Many women who smoke worry that they will gain weight if they quit. In fact, nearly 80 percent of people who quit smoking do gain weight, but the average weight gain is just five pounds. Keep in mind, however, that 56 percent of people who continue to smoke will gain weight too. The bottom line: The health benefits of quitting far exceed any risks from the weight gain that may follow quitting.

How to Quit

Research has shown that these five steps will help you to quit for good:

Pick a date to stop smoking. Before that day, get rid of all cigarettes, ashtrays, and lighters everywhere you smoke. Do not allow anyone to smoke in your home. Write down why you want to quit and keep this list as a reminder.

Get support from your family, friends, and coworkers. Studies have shown you will be more likely to quit if you have help. Let the people important to you know the date you will be quitting and ask them for their support. Ask them not to smoke around you or leave cigarettes out. Get more support ideas.

Find substitutes for smoking and vary your routine. When you get the urge to smoke, do something to take your mind off smoking. Talk to a friend, go for a walk, or go to the movies. Reduce stress with exercise, meditation, hot baths, or reading. Try sugar-free gum or candy to help handle your cravings. Drink lots of water and juices. You might want to try changing your daily routine as well. Try drinking tea instead of coffee, eating your breakfast in a different place, or taking a different route to work.

Talk to your doctor or nurse about medicines to help you quit. Some people have withdrawal symptoms when they quit smoking. These symptoms can include depression, trouble sleeping, feeling irritable or restless, and trouble thinking clearly. There are medicines to help relieve these symptoms. Most medicines help you quit smoking by giving you small, steady doses of nicotine, the drug in cigarettes that causes addiction. Talk to your doctor or nurse to see if one of these medicines may be right for you:

nicotine patch: worn on the skin and supplies a steady amount of nicotine to the body through the skin
nicotine gum or lozenge: releases nicotine into the bloodstream through the lining in your mouth
nicotine nasal spray: inhaled through your nose and passes into your bloodstream
nicotine inhaler: inhaled through the mouth and absorbed in the mouth and throat
bupropion: an antidepressant medicine that reduces nicotine withdrawal symptoms and the urge to smoke
varenicline (Chantix™): a medicine that reduces nicotine withdrawal symptoms and the pleasurable effects of smoking

Be prepared for relapse. Most people relapse, or start smoking again, within the first three months after quitting. Don't get discouraged if you relapse. Remember, many people try to quit several times before quitting for good. Think of what helped and didn't help the last time you tried to quit. Figuring these out before you try to quit again will increase your chances for success. Certain situations can increase your chances of smoking. These include drinking alcohol, being around other smokers, gaining weight, stress, or becoming depressed. Talk to your doctor or nurse for ways to cope with these situations.

Where to Get Help

Get more help if you need it. Join a quit-smoking program or support group to help you quit. These programs can help you handle withdrawal and stress and teach you skills to resist the urge to smoke. Contact your local hospital, health center, or health department for information about quit-smoking programs and support groups in your area. Call the National Cancer Institute at 877-44U-QUIT to talk to a counselor. To get live, online assistance from the National Cancer Institute's LiveHelp service, go to www.smokefree.gov and click on "Instant Messaging." LiveHelp for smoking cessation assistance is available Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Additional Information on How to Quit:

Publications

Forever Free™: For Smokers Who Have Recently Quit - People who quit smoking initially fight to overcome their body’s addiction to the drug nicotine. But afterwards, they still face challenges that can tempt them to smoke. This resource includes eight booklets that describe these challenges and ways to deal with them without smoking. Among the topics are controlling weight gain, dealing with stress, and what to do if you have that first cigarette.

http://www.smokefree.gov/pdf.html

Help for Smokers: Ideas to Help You Quit - This publication offers information about how to quit smoking, what to do if you have tried to quit before, how to quit if you are pregnant, current treatments and additional resources.

http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/helpsmok.htm

Online Guide to Quitting - This on-line resource is designed to help you at any stage of the quitting process, whether you’re still thinking about quitting, have made the decision to quit, or have already taken steps to quit and just need help maintaining your new lifestyle. Both ex-smokers and experts have contributed to this guide.

http://www.smokefree.gov/quit-smoking/index.html

Quitting Tobacco: Being Around Other Smokers … Without Smoking - The National Cancer Institute offers a fact sheet to individuals who are trying to stop smoking but are sometimes surrounded by other smokers. This fact sheet provides useful tips about what to do in difficult situations and how to get help to stop smoking completely.

http://www.smokefree.gov/Docs2/BeingAroundOtherSmokers.pdf

Quitting Tobacco: Challenges, Strategies, and Benefits - This site contains links to National Cancer Institute fact sheets about challenges smokers face when trying to quit, quitting strategies, and the benefits of quitting.

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/tobacco/quittingtips

You Can Control Your Weight As You Quit Smoking - This brochure discusses the benefits of quitting smoking, and provides suggestions for preventing weight gain following smoking cessation.

http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/smoking.htm

Double Your Chances of Quitting Smoking (Copyright © ACS) - This on-line fact sheet gives suggestions as to how you can double your chances of quitting smoking successfully. It discusses the use of medications, self-help materials, support groups, and the American Cancer Society's Quitline program.

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_10_3x_Double_Your_Chances.asp?sitearea=PED...

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_10_13X_Guide_for_Quitting_Smoking.asp...

Help for Cravings and Tough Situations (Copyright © ACS) - If you are trying to quit smoking, this on-line fact sheet gives tips that can help you deal with cravings and tough situations, such as dealing with stress and staying smoke-free throughout the holidays.

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_10_13X_Help_for_Cravings.asp?sitearea=PED...

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and Other Medications Which Aid Smoking Cessation (Copyright © ALA) - This on-line fact sheet gives information on products that can be used as a nicotine replacement for individuals who are quitting smoking. It discusses non-prescription methods such as the nicotine patch, gum, and lozenges, as well as prescription methods, like nasal sprays, inhalers, and non-nicotine medications.

http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=33566

http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=117062

Smoking: "Why Do I Smoke?" Quiz (Copyright © AAFP) - This on-line resource is a quiz to help you understand the reasons for why you smoke. Knowing those reasons greatly increases your chances for being able to quit.

http://www.familydoctor.org/handouts/296.html

Stop-smoking products to help you quit (Copyright © MFMER) - This fact sheet provides detailed information on nicotine replacement aids that can help you quit smoking. It discusses the nicotine patch, inhaler, nasal spray, and nicotine gum and lozenges. It also gives information on bupropion, a prescription drug that can help with smoking cessation.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stop-smoking-products/HA00065

The Process of Quitting Smoking (Copyright © AARC) - This on-line fact sheet provides information on the reasons smokers give for why they continue to smoke. It also provides steps that can help you quit smoking.

http://www.yourlunghealth.org/stop_smoking/process/

Organizations

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Content last updated March 19, 2008.