Enjoy Living Smoke Free

Contents

Pick a Day to Kick the Habit
What Pedro Learned About Smoking
Tips That Helped Pedro Quit Smoking
Pedro Resists the Urge to Smoke
Pedro's Family Is Living Smoke Free
My Plan To Quit Smoking
My Heart Health Card
Play It Smart, Take Care of Your Heart
Resources

Tips That Helped Pedro Quit Smoking

Get ready.

• Pick a day to quit smoking.
• Write down the reasons you want to quit smoking. Put the list where you will see it every day.
• Throw away all cigarettes, lighters, and ashtrays. Don't buy any more cigarettes.
• Tell your family, friends, and coworkers the day you are quitting.
• Make a list of the people who will support you.

Make a plan to stay off cigarettes.

• Don't go to places that make you want to smoke.
• At parties, try not to be around your friends who smoke.
• When someone offers you a cigarette, say, "No, thank you. I don't smoke." You will soon see yourself as a nonsmoker.

Ask for help.

• Buy nicotine gum or skin patches, or ask your doctor for a prescription for medicine that will help you stay off cigarettes.
• Look for a local program to help you quit smoking.

Pedro Says: "I chose my son's birthday as my quit date. I got help from my wife and my friends. The doctor and a health educator also helped me. When I quit, they congratulated me on my success."

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Public Health Service
National Institutes of Health
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
NIH Publication No. 08-6356
June 2008