Overview of the Basic Steps

I Quit Smoking
Just thinking about quitting may make you nervous. But your chances will be better if you get prepared first. Quitting works best when you're ready. Before you quit, START by taking these five significant steps:

S = Set a quit date.
T = Tell family, friends, and co-workers that you are about to quit.
A = Await and plan for the challenges you'll face while quitting.
R = Remove cigarettes from your home, car, and work.
T = Talk to your doctor about quitting and ask for help.

Getting ready to Quit

Set a Quit Date

Choose a date within the next two weeks to quit. That gives you enough time to get prepared. But it's not so long that you will lose your wish to quit.

Think about choosing a extraordinary day:
Your birthday or wedding anniversary
New Year's Day
Independence Day (July 4)
World No Tobacco Day (May 31)
The Great American Smokeout (the third Thursday of each November)

If you smoke at work, quit on holiday or during a day off. That way you'll already be cigarette-free when you get back.

Stop Smoking Cigarettes

Quitting smoking cigarettes is easier with the help of others. Tell your family, friends, and co-workers that you plan to quit. Think about how they can help you.

Someone likes to have people ask how things are going. Others find it nosy. Tell the people you care about right how they can help. Here are some ideas:
Ask everyone to comprehend your change in mood. Repeat them that this won't last long. (The worst will be over within two weeks.) Tell them this: "The longer I go without cigarettes, the quicker I'll be my old self."

Does someone related to you smoke cigarettes? Ask them to quit with you, or at least not to smoke when you are around.

Do you take any medicines? Tell your pharmacist you are quitting. Nicotine alters how some drugs work. You may need to adjust your prescriptions after you quit smoking.

Help To Stop Smoking

Get help from other people. You can try to discuss with others one-on-one or in a group. You can also get support on the phone. You can even use an Internet chat room. This kind of support assists smokers quit. The more support you get, the better. But even a small thing can help.

Await and Plan for the Challenges You'll Face While Quitting

Expecting challenges is an important part of getting prepared to quit.

Most people who go back to smoking do it during three months. Your first three months may be tough. You may be more tempted when you are nervous or feeling down. It's hard to be ready for these times before they occur. But it lends a hands to know when you need a cigarette most.

Look over your Craving Journal. See when you may be excited to smoke. Plan for how to deal with the urge before it strikes.

You should also anticipate feelings of withdrawal. Withdrawal is the uneasiness of giving up nicotine. It is your body's way of telling you it's becoming smoke-free. These feelings will go away soon.

Remove Cigarettes and Other Tobacco From Your Home, Car, and Work

Getting rid of things that remind you of smoking will also help out you get ready to quit. Try these ideas:
Make things sanitary and fresh at work, in your car, and at home. Wash your drapes and clothes. Shampoo your car. Buy yourself flowers. You will take pleasure in their scent as your sense of smell gets back.

Get rid of all your cigarettes and matches, your lighters and ashtrays. Don’t forget the ashtray and lighter in your car!

Go to your dentist to clean your teeth to get rid of smoking stains. See how great they shine. Try to keep the teeth that way.

Some smokers leave one pack of cigarettes. They do it "just in case." Or they want to demonstrate they have the willpower not to smoke. Don't! Saving even one cigarette just makes it easier to start smoking again.

Don't use other forms of tobacco as an alternative to cigarettes

Light or low-tar cigarettes are just as harmful as standard cigarettes. Smokeless tobacco, cigars, pipes, and herbal cigarettes also damage your health. For example, bidi cigarettes are just as terrible as regular cigarettes. Clove cigarettes are even worse. They have more tar, nicotine, and deadly gases. All tobacco products have damaging chemicals and poisons.

Medicines That Help With Withdrawal
Pill to stop smoking
When you quit smoking, you may feel different at first. You may feel dull, stressed, and not yourself. These are signs that your body is getting used to life without nicotine. As a rule it only lasts a few weeks.

Most people just can't handle how they feel after they quit. They start smoking again to feel well again. Maybe this has happened to you. Most people slip up in the first week after quitting. This is when feelings of withdrawal are toughest.

There are medicines that can help with feelings of withdrawal:
Bupropion SR pills
Nicotine inhaler
Nicotine lozenge
Nicotine nasal spray
Nicotine patch
Nicotine gum

pill to stop smoking

With these medicines you can double your chances of quitting for good. Ask your doctor for recommendation. But remember: Medicine alone can't do all the job. It can help with cravings and withdrawal, but quitting will still be tough at times.

Here is more information about the different medicines.

Nicotine Gum, Patch, Inhaler, Spray, and Lozenge (NRT)

Nicotine gum, patches, inhalers, sprays, and lozenges are called nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). That's because they change nicotine from cigarettes. NRT can help with withdrawal and lessen your need to smoke.

You must have a prescription to get the inhaler and nasal spray. But you can buy nicotine gum, nicotine patches, and nicotine lozenges without the prescription.

Other Medicines for easy way to quit smoking

Bupropion SR is a medicine that has no nicotine. You must take a prescription to buy these pills. They seem to assist with withdrawal and lessen the urge to smoke.

Some people have other effects when using bupropion SR pills. The side effects include dry mouth and not being able to sleep.

This medicine isn't right for:
Pregnant women
People who have seizures
People with eating problems
Alcoholics

Ask your doctor, dentist, or pharmacist if this medicine is okay for you. Make sure to use it the way your doctor prescribes it.