Smoking and Ways to Quit


‘Smoke, smoke, smoke that cigarette. Puff, puff, puff until you smoke yourself to death’

Tex Williams made these lyrics famous in a 1947 song. In 1947 cigarettes weren’t considered hazardous to your health. Here and now in the 21st century after years of research it is known that cancer attributed to tobacco products kills over 400,00 people in the US alone(1).

If you are a smoker, you might smoke when you are happy, when you are sad, after a nice meal, while talking on the phone, while having a drink. Chances are, that if you have been smoking for a while you are smoking on each of these occasions. In fact, probably you and your old buddy the nicotine delivery system are inseparable. It’s the nicotine that gives you the real high or smoking satisfaction. But in truth it’s an addiction, you are addicted and there is no getting around it. World Health Organization Director General Gro Harlem Brundtland defines a cigarette as, “ a euphemism for a cleverly crafted product that delivers just the right amount of nicotine to keep its user addicted for life before killing the person.''

So, why would you smoke if you know it’s affecting your health, even slowly killing you? Because it is an addiction. Do you want to quit? Do you want to end your addiction?

There are many ways to deal with quitting cigarettes, or nicotine addiction. They are very much the same methods used in getting rid of any addiction. They are: behavior modification, support, pharmaceuticals/medicines, and just plain will power.

There are those fortunate people who can do just about anything they put their mind to, and they are able to stop smoking ‘cold turkey’, they just decide to stop and then they do it. Unfortunately for the rest of us, things aren’t that easy – we have quit cold turkey more than several times.

There are so many medicines or pharmaceutical products available to us today, there are nicotine patches, nicotine gum, prescription drugs like Wellbutrin and Chantix.

There are some great support groups available to help you quit smoking as well such as the American Cancer Society.

Probably the best way to quit smoking is with a combination of several alternatives, such as changing your behavior, letting other people know of your intention to quit, using a pharmaceutical product to suppress the nicotine craving and joining a support group.

Does it take more time this way to quit than to just “plain quit”. It sure does, but then aren’t you worth the time and effort? The more weapons you have in your Quit Smoking Arsenal the better your chance of success.

So, why not give this technique a try:

1. Set a date as to when you will quit – call it Q Day, Quit Day or Independence Day – whatever meaningful name you would like to call it. As you get closer to this day your excitement will build, as will your nervousness.

2. Tell your family and friends about your plans to quit, make them aware of the big day.

3. Prior to the big day record those times when you have a cigarette. Record the time of day, what caused you to have the cigarette, how you felt before you smoked and how you felt after you smoked. Identify other things you can substitute for cigarettes in these situations.

4. Join a support group so that on your Quit Day, you hit the ground running. Your expectations will be great sharing your experiences and listening to the experiences of others. You will be ready for battle on QDay.

5. Ask your doctor to prescribe medication such as Chantix or Wellbutrin to help you. You can also try nicotine gum or nicotine patches. Be sure to check with your doctor first.

6. When you get the urge to smoke put yourself in situations where you cannot smoke. If you have to avoid people that smoke for a while, so be it. They will understand, and we are taking about your health, right?

7. Try to substitute exercise for the cigarettes instead of food. The tendency is to eat more to compensate. Drink lots of water instead of eating that little snack.

8. Believe in yourself, trust yourself, feel good about yourself and reward yourself. That goes a long way to kicking the habit, treat yourself well, real well – because you are a success – you are beating an addiction!





1. American Lung Association State of Tobacco Control: 2005 Report.

Article content researched and written by Frank McGovern for Cessation.com