1. Don’t smoke any number or any kind of cigarette. Smoking even a few cigarettes a day can hurt your health. If you try to smoke fewer cigarettes, but do not stop completely, soon you’ll be smoking the same amount again.
Smoking "low-tar, low-nicotine"
cigarettes usually does little good, either. Because nicotine is
so addictive, if you switch to lower-nicotine brands you’ll
likely just puff harder, longer, and more often on each cigarette.
The only safe choice is to quit completely.
2. Write down why you want to quit. Do you want
Really wanting to quit smoking is very
important to how much success you will have in quitting. Smokers
who live after a heart attack are the most likely to quit for
good—they're very motivated. Find a reason for quitting
before you have no choice.
3. Know that it will take effort to quit
smoking. Nicotine is habit forming. Half of the battle in
quitting is knowing you need to quit. This knowledge will help
you be more able to deal with the symptoms of withdrawal that can
occur, such as bad moods and really wanting to smoke. There are
many ways smokers quit, including using nicotine replacement
products (gum and patches), but there is no easy way. Nearly all
smokers have some feelings of nicotine withdrawal when they try
to quit. Give yourself a month to get over these feelings. Take
quitting one day at a time, even one minute at a time—whatever
you need to succeed.
4. Half of all adult smokers have quit,
so you can— too. That’s the good news.There are
millions of people alive today who have learned to face life
without a cigarette. For staying healthy, quitting smoking is the
best step you can take.
5. Get help if you need it. Many groups offer written materials, programs, and advice to help smokers quit for good. Your doctor or dentist is also a good source of help and support.