Quitting Smoking

Congratulations! You are taking a big step. You are ready to quit today. It's exciting. But it can also be scary. If you're not quite ready yet, but you think you will be soon, see the section Thinking About Quitting?

If you've been planning to quit, you may already know that when you stop smoking, you may not feel so great at first. Some people feel grouchy and have headaches or cravings. The good news is that these things are at their worst in the first 2 to 3 days after you quit, although they can last up to several weeks.² And there are things that can help.

If you decided to quit today but haven't planned ahead, don't worry. Here are some things to consider to help you succeed:

Use medicine

Using nicotine replacement products and/or medicine doubles your chancesof quitting.¹ Nicotine is addictive. When you quit smoking, your body craves the nicotine that it was used to getting when you smoked. But the nicotine isn't the harmful part of smoking or chewing. It's all the other things in tobacco that are bad for you.

• Nicotine replacement products can help with cravings and withdrawal.
• Other medicines that can help are bupropion (Zyban) and varenicline (Chantix).

Get support

Support can help you through the stress of losing this part of your life. Friends and family can provide shoulders to lean on, and they can encourage you to stay smoke-free. They can help distract you when you want to smoke, and they can understand when you're a bit grouchy.

In-person, online, and phone support can also help you succeed. Here are some ways to get support:

• National tobacco quit line: 1-800-QUIT NOW (1-800-784-8669)
• Counseling from a doctor, nurse, or therapist
• Stop-smoking programs, such as the American Lung Association's Freedom from Smoking program (www.lungusa.com) or QuitNet (www.quitnet.com). In these programs you can:
  • Get help deciding which medicines may be right for you. (QuitNet)
  • Use message boards, live chat, and e-mail to talk with counselors and people who have also quit.
  • Sign up for daily e-mail messages. (QuitNet)

Quitting smoking: Getting support

Make a plan

If you quit today but haven't planned ahead, now is a good time to plan your quit strategy. Plan ahead for any problems or barriers, and you can think about ways to reward yourself for reaching specific milestones. Use this form to write out your personal action plan.(What is a PDF document?)

For more information, see the Planning Your Strategy to Quit section of this topic.

Know your reason

You are taking an important step to improve your life. Make sure that you know your reasons for quitting smoking. The most common reason to quit is to live longer. It's a gift you can give yourself and your family.