| Everyone knows that smoking is a deadly, expensive | | | | Get some support. Maybe you'd like to join an online |
| habit. The bad news is that people start it when they | | | | group that features message boards populated by |
| are too young to know better, then find themselves | | | | others who are in the process of kicking the habit. Or |
| with a hard habit to break. The good news is that | | | | maybe you can quit with a friend or family member. |
| many people have kicked the habit, and if you really | | | | Support always helps when trying to change an |
| want to, you can, too. | | | | ingrained habit. You may even be able to find a |
| First, it's all right to wean yourself off cigarettes over a | | | | telephone counseling hotline you can call when you are |
| period of weeks, but you must decide from the start | | | | severely tempted. |
| that your ultimate goal is no smoking at all. If you | | | | It helps to choose a quit date and make it stick. While |
| manage to quit completely for a few weeks and then | | | | you are cutting back, there are some definite things |
| decide just to have a puff, there is a good chance that | | | | you can do to help make the resolution a reality. For |
| all your desire for cigarettes will come back with a | | | | one thing, try smoking a different brand of cigarettes. |
| vengeance. Once you give them up, hang onto that | | | | Make yourself smoke a lower tar brand that you don't |
| clean feeling for good! | | | | really like. If you're smoking a brand with less nicotine, |
| It might help you to do some journaling about your | | | | make sure you don't just smoke more cigarettes. |
| attitude toward smoking. Just why would you like to | | | | Here are a few more tips for quitting smoking. When |
| quit? There are many reasons. Which ones mean the | | | | you've reached your quit day, spend some time in the |
| most to you? Do you want to save money by no | | | | local library, museum, or other places where you |
| longer having to feel compelled to buy cigarettes? Are | | | | wouldn't be allowed to smoke anyway. Exercising, |
| you more interested in avoiding cancer? Do you want | | | | drinking water, and staying busy are all good ways to |
| to have stronger lungs for physical activities, so you're | | | | stay healthy and distracted. You can fiddle with a |
| not always huffing and puffing? List those reasons and | | | | pencil or something if you miss having a cigarette to |
| refer to your list often as you battle it out. | | | | handle. |
| It's estimated that the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal | | | | You can do it! Just don't give up. Watch out for |
| are usually over by the time you've been off | | | | situational smoking cues, like when you sit down with a |
| cigarettes for a month. In fact, they might only last a | | | | cup of coffee, or when you've just finished a meal. |
| week or two. If you can remember this, you can | | | | Change your tactics. Get up and start cleaning the |
| encourage yourself to tough it out when the | | | | table off instead of lighting up that after dinner smoke. |
| symptoms are bad. It won't last forever. Things will get | | | | The trial won't last forever and you'll be so glad you |
| better, and you'll eventually feel great! | | | | joined the ranks of non-smokers. |