et a quit date

Pick a date within the next two weeks to quit.
That gives you enough time to get ready. But it’s
not so long that you will lose your drive to quit.
Think about choosing a special day:

• Your birthday or wedding anniversary
  
• New Year’s Day
  
• Independence Day (July 4)
  
• World No Tobacco Day (May 31)
  
• The Great American Smokeout
  (third thursday of November)

If you smoke at work, quit on the weekend or
during a day off. That way you’ll already be
cigarette-free when you return to work.

ell your family, friends, and co-workers that you plan to quit

Common feelings of
smoking withdrawal
include:

1. Feeling depressed
2. Not being able to sleep
   Getting cranky, frustrated or mad
3. Feeling anxious,
   nervous, or restless
4. Having trouble thinking
   clearly
5. Feeling hungry or
   gaining weight

Not everyone has feelings
of withdrawal. You may
have one or many of these
problems. And they may
last different amounts
of time. The medicines
can help.

Quitting smoking is easier with the support of
others. Tell your family, friends, and co-workers that
you plan to quit. Tell them how they can help you.
Some people like to have friends, ask how things
are going. Others find it nosy. Tell the people you
care about exactly how they can help. Here are
some ideas:

• Ask everyone to understand your change in
  mood. Remind 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 sooner I’ll be my old self.”
  
• Does someone close to you smoke? Ask them
  to quit with you, or at least not to smoke
  around you.
  
• Do you take any medicines? Tell your doctor and pharmacist you are quitting. Nicotine changes how some drugs work. You may need to change your prescriptions after you quit.
  
• Get support from other people. You can try talking with others one-on-one or in a group. You can also get support on the phone
  (1-800-QUITNOW). You can even try an Internet chat room. This kind of support helps smokers quit. The more support you get, the better. But even a little can help.

nticipate and plan for the challenges
   you’ll face while quitting

Expecting challenges is an important part of getting
ready to quit. Most people who go back to smoking do it
within three months. Your first three months may be hard.
You may be more tempted when you are stressed or
feeling down. It’s hard to be ready for these times
before they happen. But it helps to know when you
need a cigarette most. Look over your Craving Journal.
See when you may be tempted to smoke. Plan for how
to deal with the urge before it hits. You should also expect
feelings of withdrawal. Withdrawal is the discomfort
of giving up nicotine. It is your body’s way of telling you
it’s learning to be smoke-free. These feelings will go
away in time. Keep reading for tips on handling urges and
withdrawal.

emove cigarettes and other tobacco from
   your home, car, and work

There’s no better time
to quit than now.
Women who smoke have
a harder time getting
pregnant. And you face
more dangers if you do
get pregnant:

1. You may lose the baby
   or have a stillborn
   (dead) baby.
   
2. Your baby may be
   born small.
   
3. Your baby is more likely
   to die of Sudden Infant
   Death Syndrome (SIDS).
   
4. Your baby may be
   cranky, restless, and
   get sick more often.
   
5. Your baby is more
   likely to have learning
   problems.

The good news is that
quitting can help you
have a healthy baby. It
helps to quit at any time
while you are pregnant.
It’s even better to quit
before you get pregnant.

 

Getting rid of things that remind you of smoking
will also help you get ready to quit. Try these ideas:

• Make things clean and fresh at work, in your car, and at home. Clean your drapes and clothes. Shampoo your car's interior. Buy yourself flowers. You will enjoy their scent as your sense of smell returns.
  
• Throw away all your cigarettes and matches.
  Give or throw away your lighters and ashtrays.
  Remember the ashtray and lighter in your car!
  
• Have your dentist clean your teeth to get rid of
  smoking stains. See how great they look. Try to keep them that way.
  
• Some smokers save one pack of cigarettes.
  They do it “just in case.” Or they want to prove
  they have the willpower not to smoke. Don’t!
  Saving one pack just makes it easier to start smoking again.

Don’t use other forms of tobacco
instead of cigarettes

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

alk to your doctor about getting help
   to quit

Quitting “cold turkey” isn’t your only choice. Talk to
your doctor about other ways to quit. Most doctors
can answer your questions and give advice. They can
suggest medicine to help with withdrawal. You can
buy some of these medicines over the counter.
For others, you need a prescription.

Your doctor, dentist, or pharmacist can also point
you to places to find support, or toll-free quit lines,
or internet quit sites. If you cannot see your doctor,
you can get somemedicines without a prescription that
can help you quit smoking. Go to your local pharmacy
or grocery store for over the counter medicines like the
nicotine patch, nicotine gum, or nicotine lozenge. Read the
instructions to see if the medicine is right for you.
If you’re not sure, ask a pharmacist.