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Quitting is personal

Everyone benefits – right away and over time – when they quit smoking. But quitting is personal. Only you’ll know what works for you.
That doesn’t mean you’re alone in making this decision. More and more people are choosing to quit. Look at these numbers from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health:

Medical treatment

You’ve seen people chewing gum. Someone rolls up their sleeve to reveal a patch.
Nicotine-replacement products reduce withdrawal symptoms. Talk to your doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacist about these over-the-counter products or about a prescription that can help you quit smoking for good. Some drugs – what’s in the patch, for example – can help increase your chances of success.

Tips to help you quit

If you’re still trying to decide between quitting gradually, counselling and support groups, or medical treatment, try some simple tips.

Make lists

Try making a list of the:

• situations when you smoke to help you identify what triggers you to light up
• benefits you see in quitting and keeping it handy so you can re-read it
• activities you picture yourself doing instead of smoking, like going for a walk or run

Get moving

Exercise relaxes the mind and body, and helps repair some of the damage smoking has done to your health.

Avoid triggers

Figure out what situations make you crave a cigarette and try to avoid or change them. If you usually:

• smoke while drinking coffee, try tea or water instead
• smoke at parties, try to avoid them until you feel confident about enjoying these occasions without smoking

Reduce cravings

Try these simple activities – even if they sound too simple – to reduce your nicotine-craving:

• breathe deeply to help yourself relax
• drink water to keep your hands and mouth busy (it helps flush the toxins from your system, and you can raise a glass to your success)