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Quitting Tobacco: Enjoying Meals ... Without Smoking 

What To Expect 

• Smoking urges may be stronger at different meal times—sometimes breakfast, sometimes 

lunch, or sometimes dinner. 

• Your smoking urges may be stronger with certain foods, such as spicy or sweet meals or 

snacks. 

• Expect to want to smoke after meals or with others at a restaurant. 

• Expect the urge to smoke when you smell cigarette smoke at a restaurant. 

• When you no longer smoke at the table after meals, you can expect that others will be 

pleased. 

Did You Know? 

• Many smokers feel the need to smoke after meals at home, work, or a restaurant. 

• Your desire to smoke after meals may depend on whether you are alone, with other 

smokers, or with nonsmokers. 

What To Do 

• Know what kinds of foods increase your urge to smoke and stay away from them. 

• If you are alone, call a friend or take a walk as soon as you’ve finished eating. 

• Brush your teeth or use mouthwash right after meals. 

• If possible, have someone massage your shoulders. 

• If you have coffee or a fruit drink, concentrate on the taste. 

• Wash the dishes by hand after eating—you can’t smoke with wet hands! 

Nicotine and Your Body and Mind 

• Nicotine stops hunger pains in your stomach for as long as one hour, and it also makes 

your blood sugar level go up. When you quit, this is reversed. 

• Smoking and eating are both ways to meet certain needs (stimulation, relaxation, 

pampering, time out, comfort, or socialization), so when you quit smoking, you may eat 

more. 

• Withdrawal from nicotine enhances the taste of sweeter foods. Food often tastes better 

after you quit smoking, and you may have a bigger appetite. 
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Related Notes 

• Once you pinpoint high-risk situations that trigger the urge to smoke, you can begin to 

handle such situations. Eating and drinking are often very important triggers. Nicotine 

cravings may be reduced by using nicotine replacement products, which deliver small, 

steady doses of nicotine into the body. Nicotine replacement patches, gum, lozenges, 

nasal spray, and inhaler appear to be equally effective. Buproprion pills (which don’t 

contain nicotine) also help relieve withdrawal symptoms. 

How To Get Help 

• If you or someone you know wants help with giving up tobacco, please call the National 

Cancer Institute’s Smoking Quitline toll-free at 1–877–44U–QUIT (1–877–448–7848). 

The information specialists on the Quitline can provide suggestions and support to help 

smokers break the habit. 

• The Federal Government’s Smokefree.gov Web site (http://www.smokefree.gov) allows 

you to choose the help that best fits your needs. You can get immediate assistance: 

o View an online step-by-step cessation guide. 

o Find state quitline telephone numbers. 

o Instant message an expert through NCI’s LiveHelp service. 

o Download, print, or order publications about quitting smoking. 

# # # 

This fact sheet was reviewed on 11/8/04 

This fact sheet was adapted from material developed by the Tobacco Education and Prevention Program 

of the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Arizona Smokers’ Helpline of the University of 

Arizona.