How to Quit Smoking

Nicotine is one of the most addictive, harmful and widely available legal drugs in the world. Smokingis a bad habit and it is annoying and harmfulto people who don't smoke. It harms children who are exposed to it passively. Cigarettes are responsible foraround 4.9 million deaths eachyear. Quitting smoking is not impossible. EditSteps 1Realize that tobacco creates a habit on a variable reinforcement schedule. Sometimes it gets you high. People smoke long after they have any expectation of getting high. At some point, you can combine itwith coffee and alcohol, and it still does not work, but you'vedone it a hundred thousand ormore times by then, and so they areall habit smokes. Sometimes it actually hurts to smoke, and yet people keep doing it. 2Find a strong inner determination to stop smoking. Consider making a listof the reasons you're thinking about quitting to shore up your determination. Specific, current, emotion-based reasons are better than factual, future-based reasons. For instance, "It's embarrassingto ride the elevator at work smelling like a giant cigarette" is more motivating than "I don't want to get cancerwhen I’m 40, 50 or 60." Get some facts. Look up smoking on the internet and find out the history behind it, and what happens to smokerslater on in life. You'll learn about the profit motives behind the industry as well assome medically gruesome reasons to quit. Also, get the facts about any quit-smoking product or technique you're considering, as research shows that some are more effective than others. Your local consumer or community health organization might have comparison charts for you to check out. 3Be positive and confident that you can successfully quit. You have spent time and energy planning how you will deal withthe task ahead by following our tips for giving up smoking.Believe you can and you will do it if you persevere. Use goal accomplishment techniques and regular milestone rewards to stay focused and committed. Always start your new life witha sense of excitement and enjoyment. Give yourself rewards for milestones (1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, etc.). For example, if you smoked three packs a week at$4 per pack, after 6 months you would have saved $288, probably even more. Reward yourself with that money. 4Choose a specific quit date. Instead of trying to quit each year on your birthday or for your New Year's Resolution, try quittingon a Monday! And not just next Monday - but every Monday. That gives you 52 chances in a year instead of just one chance––making it more likely that you’ll succeed. The Healthy Monday Campaign, a non-profit national public health campaignassociated with the Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, encourages people to quit smoking and take other healthy actions on Mondays. Between your decision to quit smoking and your "quit date", do not smoke the same brand.The difference in flavors and chemicals will make smoking less enjoyable, but not intolerable. Switching brands also helps to ‘de-automate’ smoking, which can help you become more conscious of your habitand increase your chances for success. Remove all tobacco products, like lighters and matches from your home and office. Also, don't even keep a pack of cigarettes at your home, because it will make it easier to start smoking again.