Support and Advice From Your Clinician
You Can Quit Smoking
Quitting takes hard work and a lot of effort, but the benefits are explained
below, as are the key steps to quitting successfully.
All information is based on scientific research about what will give you the best chances of quitting.
Select for print version (PDF File, 53 KB). PDF
Help.
A Personalized Quit Plan For: ________________________________________
Want to Quit?
- Nicotine is a powerful addiction.
- Quitting
is hard, but don’t give up. You can do it.
- Many people try
2 or 3 times before they quit for good.
- Each
time you try to quit, the more likely you will be to succeed.
Good Reasons for Quitting:
- You will live longer and live healthier.
- The
people you live with, especially your children, will be healthier.
- You will have more
energy and breathe easier.
- You
will lower your risk of heart attack, stroke, or cancer.
Tips to Help You Quit:
- Get rid of ALL cigarettes and ashtrays in your home, car, or workplace.
- Ask
your family, friends, and coworkers for support.
- Stay in nonsmoking
areas.
- Breathe
in deeply when you feel the urge to smoke.
- Keep yourself busy.
- Reward
yourself often.
Quit and Save Yourself Money:
- At over $5.00 per pack, if you smoke 1 pack per day, you will save more
than $1,800 each year and more than $18,000 in 10 years.
- What
else could you do with this money?
Five Keys for Quitting
1. Get Ready
- Set a quit date and stick to it—not even a single puff!
- Think
about past quit attempts. What worked and what did not?.
2. Get Support and Encouragement
- Tell your family, friends, and coworkers you are quitting.
- Talk
to your doctor or other health care provider.
- Get group or individual
counseling.
- For
free help, call 1-800-QUIT NOW (784-8669) to be connected to the quitline
in your State.
3. Learn New Skills and Behaviors
- When you first try to quit, change your routine.
- Reduce
stress.
- Distract yourself
from urges to smoke.
- Plan
something enjoyable to do every day.
- Drink a lot of water
and other fluids.
- Replace smoking with low-calorie
food such as carrots.
4. Get Medication and Use It Correctly
- Talk with your health care provider about which medication will work best
for you:
- Bupropion SR—available
by prescription.
- Nicotine
gum—available over the counter.
- Nicotine inhaler—available
by prescription.
- Nicotine
nasal spray—available by prescription.
- Nicotine patch—available
over the counter.
- Nicotine
lozenge—available over the counter.
- Varenicline—available by prescription. .
5. Be Prepared for Relapse or Difficult
Situations
- Avoid alcohol.
- Be
careful around other smokers.
- Improve your mood
in ways other than smoking.
- Eat
a healthy diet, and stay active.
Your Quit Plan
1. Your Quit Date:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. Who Can Help You:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. Skills and Behaviors You Can Use:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. Your Medication Plan:
Medications:________________________________________
Instructions:________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. How Will You Prepare?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Quitting smoking is hard. Be prepared for challenges, especially
in the first few weeks
Followup plan:____________________________________________________________
Other information:________________________________________________________
Referral:_________________________________________________________________
Clinician:______________________________Date:__________________________________
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Public Health Service
Revised September 2008
Internet Citation:
You Can Quit Smoking . Support and Advice from Your
Prenatal Care Provider. Consumer Tear Sheet, September 2008. U.S. Public
Health Service. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Rockville, MD.
http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/tobacco/prenatal.htm
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Department of Health and Human Services