If you are reading this, then you have already taken the first step. You are thinking about how you can stop smoking! The decision to stop smoking can seem overwhelming, but with help from this guide and support from your family and friends, you can do it! Half of all the people who have ever smoked have quit, and so can you. If you've tried to quit smoking before and it didn't work, you can use what you learned before so you can be successful this time. It can be very difficult to quit, but once you do, you'll look better, smell better, feel better, and be healthier!
Why should I quit smoking?
Everyone knows that smoking can cause cancer when you get older, but did you know that it also has bad effects on your body right now? A cigarette contains about 4000 chemicals, and at least 43 of those chemicals are known to cause cancer in humans. Some of the other chemicals are found in products that are known to be poisonous. Some of the worst ones are:
- Nicotine: a deadly poison
- Arsenic: used in rat poison
- Methane: a component of rocket fuel
- Ammonia: found in floor cleaner
- Cadmium: used in batteries
- Carbon Monoxide: part of car exhaust
- Formaldehyde: used to preserve body tissue
- Butane: lighter fluid
- Hydrogen Cyanide: the poison used in gas chambers
Every time you inhale smoke from a cigarette, small amounts of these chemicals get into your blood through your lungs. They travel to all the parts of your body and cause harm.
Okay, I've decided to quit... What can I do so I will succeed this time?
That's great! This is a very positive step. There are some things you can do before you stop smoking to help increase your chances of success:
- If you've tried to quit before, think about why it didn't work. What can you do this time to help yourself succeed?
- Tell your family and friends that you are quitting. Ask them to not tease you about it, because you are serious. Ask them to support you by not smoking around you and not offering you cigarettes.
- Throw out all your cigarettes, lighters, and ashtrays. If you're going to be a non-smoker, you won't need these things again.
- Talk to your doctor about nicotine replacement methods. Nicotine gum, patches, spray, and some new medications can really help people to stop smoking. However, for these products to work, it is important to use them the right way. Make sure someone explains to you how to use them correctly.
- Join a support group at your school or in your community.
- Find someone you can call for those times when you feel like you are having a weak moment and might smoke a cigarette. This person should know that you are trying to quit and can remind you of all the reasons why you decided to give up cigarettes.
What can I do so I won't smoke again?
The hardest part about quitting is breaking the habits that go along with it. For example, if you are used to smoking with your friends when you are hanging out together, it will be hard to hang around with them and not smoke. The best way to keep from smoking is to not put yourself in situations with people who smoke and to stay away from places where you are used to smoking.
- Avoid places and situations where you normally smoke.
- Spend a few days or a week away from your friends who smoke.
- Go to non-smoking places with your friends, like the mall or the movies.
- Don't drink alcohol. Alcohol will likely lower your willpower and increase your chances of having a cigarette.
- If your family smokes, ask them to not smoke in your room.
- Exercise. It will take your mind off smoking, make you feel better, and keep you healthy.
- Plan activities during the first couple of weeks to take your mind off smoking. It will be easier to quit if you keep yourself busy.
- Buy lots of carrots, celery, and other healthy foods so you can munch instead of smoke.
How will I feel when I'm quitting?
If you are a regular smoker, your body has gotten used to having nicotine and other chemicals around all the time. You will probably feel some symptoms of withdrawal when you stop smoking. This means that you may crave cigarettes, or you might just feel uncomfortable or nervous. Many people mistake nicotine craving for hunger. You need to listen to your body, so you won't eat when you're not actually hungry. Do something to keep yourself busy. If you must eat, snack on something healthy like carrots or celery.
When will the nicotine craving go away?
Within a week or two, the nicotine craving will go away and you will feel more like yourself. In the beginning you also might feel frustrated, moody, or depressed. It may seem like you are all alone in your suffering and that no one understands what you are going through. Although this will be hard, these feelings will go away with time. After a couple weeks, you will be over the hardest part of quitting - the physical addiction, when your body feels like it needs nicotine. However, it may still be hard to resist having a cigarette. The habit of having a cigarette in your hand and smoking while you do certain activities, like talking on the phone or hanging out with friends, can be difficult to break.
After I quit can I have a cigarette once in awhile?
Many people get through the toughest part of quitting and mistakenly think that they can start smoking a cigarette once in a while again. Very soon, their old habits come back and they find themselves addicted once again. Quitting is difficult for most people so once you quit, make a commitment to yourself that you won't light up again!
Oops! I had a cigarette. I guess quitting is too hard for me.
If you give in and have a cigarette while you are trying to quit, don't worry! This doesn't mean you can't quit. Quitting is a very hard thing to do, and it is not surprising that you might break down and have a cigarette at some point. The important thing is not to use this as a reason to become a regular smoker again. Think of it as a mistake and tell yourself that you won't let it happen again. You can do it!
What happens if I really start smoking again?
If you try to quit and it doesn't work, don't give up. Quitting is very hard. Think about why quitting didn't work for you. Only YOU know why you like to smoke, and only YOU can figure out what it will take for you to quit. Start thinking about what you can do to help yourself quit for good. Try quitting again in a few weeks and use what you learned from your first experience to make it work the second time.
