Quit Smoking

What is the best way to quit smoking? Some would quit today and never smoke another cigarette. Others would argue for letting down gradually.

Actually, there is no single way of quitting that works best for everyone. There are many ways to quit, and millions of people have done so without any special programs. Others find they need help. One man, who had tried several programs without success, had himself chained to his sofa for three days for he could not reach a cigarette. Few people need to take such drastic measures, but the new medical information that stresses the addictive properties of nicotine does away with the idea that people cannot stop because they are weak-willed.

The American Cancer Society has a number of suggestions for smokers who want to quit:

1. Make a list of all the good things you get from smoking, such as something to do with your hands, a way to relax, a reward for hard work, or whatever benefits you think it brings. Then list all the bad things you get from smoking, such as foul breath, smoke-filled air, yellowed fingers, and health problems. Then, think about it all.

2. Make your habit as inconvenient as possible. For example: limit the places in which you will smoke—to the outdoors, perhaps; never smoke unless you are standing; lock your cigarettes in a hard-to-get-to place.

3. Decide to quit smoking one month from now on a certain day. Prepare for this day by starting to cut down, smoking less of each cigarette, and trying to relax more through increased use of exercise, deep breathing, or any other methods that appeals to you. Replace a cigarette with a carrot or sugarless gum. On Q day, reward yourself.