3 tips to help you quit smoking
(NC) Cigarette smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals, and smoking can cause serious health problems including cancer, and heart and respiratory diseases. While quitting smoking is hard, it is possible, and help is available. Here are three tips to help you achieve your goal.
Have a plan
Start by creating a quit plan. A plan should include the reasons you want to quit, any concerns you may have, a list of things that could trigger a craving, which tools and techniques you’ll use to cope with cravings and, perhaps most importantly, the date you’re going to quit.
When you are struggling to resist a craving, refer to your plan to remind yourself of why you’re quitting and things you can do to help. No two people will have the exact same plan. What worked for someone else may not necessarily be what will work for you.
Health Canada has a free online quit plan tool that only takes about 10 minutes to complete.
Use replacement tools
After your last cigarette, you’ll start to feel uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms like feeling restless, difficulty concentrating or sleeping. This is your body responding to low levels of nicotine, which can all lead back to cravings. But there are tools you can use to help deal with these cravings and effects.
There is a wide variety of nicotine replacement therapy options, including nicotine gums, patches, lozenges and inhalers. Other quit aids include the plant-based natural health product called cytisine, and prescription medications like bupropion or varenicline. Research has shown combining certain quit aids, such as a nicotine gum along with a nicotine patch, can nearly triple your chances of quitting.
Seek out support
While you’re the only one who can make the decision to quit and follow through with it, getting support from those around you can help you succeed. Their support can be as simple as joining you on a walk until your craving passes or, if they smoke, refraining from smoking when they’re with you.
You can also seek support from an expert, like a pharmacist or counsellor. There are free quit support services available across the country where you can talk to a quit coach by phone, online or text.
Find the quit-smoking planner and more resources at canada.ca/quit-smoking.
