How do I quit smoking? Create a Plan to Kick the Habit

Quitting smoking can be one of the most rewarding changes you make to improve your overall health. It lowers your risk of lung cancer, heart disease, chronic lung conditions, and many other smoking-related illnesses — including those linked to tobacco and vaping products.

But quitting is not always easy. The addictive nature of nicotine, a key component of cigarettes, can make it especially difficult, but not impossible. With support and a little planning, quitting smoking successfully can be done.

Francisco Cartujano, MD, assistant director for Wilmot Cancer Institute's Community Outreach and Engagement team and director of Wilmot's Tobacco Cessation Program, and Jennifer Lee, TTS, MFT, tobacco treatment specialist and lead lifestyle counselor at the UR Medicine Center for Community Health & Prevention, share tips to create a personalized quit plan today.

Choose a specific day to quit.

Choose a quit day that works for you. It doesn’t have to be a holiday or a special occasion — it just needs to be a day that feels right and gives you time to prepare. Any day is a good day to quit smoking.

You may want to consider your weekly routine and what triggers you to smoke, and then choose a quit day around that. For example, if you often smoke on the weekend, Monday may be a better day to quit. If you have a stressful meeting every Tuesday, maybe Wednesday is a better day to quit. Choose a day that works best for you.

The night before your quit date, get rid of matches, ashtrays, lighters, and cigarettes. Don’t forget to remove any items you may have stashed in the car or workplace.

Identify your triggers.

What makes you want to smoke? Common triggers include stress, drinking coffee or alcohol, social events, watching TV, or taking breaks at work.

Once you recognize your triggers, you can plan new habits or coping tools to help you through cravings.

Plan activities to distract yourself.

Cravings only last a few minutes. If you can keep your mind busy for those few minutes, your craving may pass entirely.

Consider activities like:

• Going for a walk or stretching
• Playing games on your phone
• Deep breathing exercises
• Calling a friend to chat
• Replying to emails
• Reading
• Crafts or puzzles

Think about what help or support you might need.

Research shows people are more likely to succeed when they get support from health professionals and loved ones. That support can include counseling, medication, group programs, and clinical quit-planning services.

Medications recommended by health care professionals can help you through the quitting process. There are several FDA-approved medications: nicotine patches, gum, and lozenges as well nasal spray, bupropion, and varenicline.

If you have tried nicotine replacement therapies and have not had success, it is important to check if you used the right amount. Follow the instructions carefully on the package and use it only for the recommended amount of time. For nicotine gum, you may need to use the “chew and park” technique, instead of using it like regular chewing gum. See these tips from the Centers for Disease Control.

Whatever action you take next, it’s important to know that for most people, it takes many attempts before quitting for good. Don’t give up! Every little step forward helps, and you can always try again.