You Can

Quit

Smoking

CONSUMER GUIDE

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Public Health Service
NICOTINE: A POWERFUL ADDICTION

If you have tried to quit smoking, you know how hard it can be. It

is hard because nicotine is a very addictive drug. For some people,

it can be as addictive as heroin or cocaine. 

Quitting is hard. Usually people make 2 or 3 tries, or more, before

finally being able to quit. Each time you try to quit, you can learn

about what helps and what hurts.

PURPOSE OF THIS BOOKLET

This booklet tells about ways you can get help to quit smoking. It

explains the best ways for you to quit, and quit for good. All the

information in this booklet is based on scientific research about

what will give you the best chances of quitting. The booklet also

lists names and addresses of organizations that can offer help and

more information. 

QUITTING TAKES HARD WORK AND A

LOT OF EFFORT, BUT—YOU CAN QUIT

SMOKING.
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GOOD REASONS FOR QUITTING

Quitting smoking is one of the most important things you will ever

do:

You will live longer and live better. 

Quitting will lower your chance of having a heart attack,

stroke, or cancer.

If you are pregnant, quitting smoking will improve your

chances of having a healthy baby.

The people you live with, especially your children, will 

be healthier.

You will have extra money to spend on things other than

cigarettes.

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FIVE KEYS FOR QUITTING

Studies have shown that these five steps will help you quit and quit

for good. You have the best chances of quitting if you use them

together: 

1. Get ready.

2. Get support.

3. Learn new skills and behaviors. 

4. Get medication and use it correctly.

5. Be prepared for relapse or difficult situations.

1. GET READY

Set a quit date.

Change your environment. 

— Get rid of ALL cigarettes and ashtrays in your home, car, 

and place of work. 

— Don’t let people smoke in your home.

Review your past attempts to quit. Think about what worked

and what did not.

Once you quit, don’t smoke—NOT EVEN A PUFF!

S M T W TH F S

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2. GET SUPPORT AND

ENCOURAGEMENT

Studies have shown that you have a better chance of being

successful if you have help. You can get support in many ways:

Tell your family, friends, and coworkers that you are going to

quit and want their support. Ask them not to smoke around

you or leave cigarettes out.

Talk to your health care provider (for example, doctor, dentist,

nurse, pharmacist, psychologist, or smoking counselor).

Get individual, group, or telephone counseling. The more

counseling you have, the better your chances are of quitting.

Programs are given at local hospitals and health centers. Call

your local health department for information about programs

in your area.

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3. LEARN NEW SKILLS

AND BEHAVIORS

Try to distract yourself from urges to smoke. Talk to someone,

go for a walk, or get busy with a task.

When you first try to quit, change your routine. Use a

different route to work. Drink tea instead of coffee. Eat

breakfast in a different place.

Do something to reduce your stress. Take a hot bath, exercise,

or read a book.

Plan something enjoyable to do every day.

Drink a lot of water and other fluids.

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4. GET MEDICATION AND

USE IT CORRECTLY

Medications can help you stop smoking and lessen the urge to

smoke. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved

five medications to help you quit smoking:

— Bupropion SR - available by prescription

— Nicotine gum - available over-the-counter

— Nicotine inhaler - available by prescription

— Nicotine nasal spray - available by prescription

— Nicotine patch - available by prescription and over-thecounter

Ask your health care provider for advice and carefully read the

information on the package.

All of these medications will more or less double your chances

of quitting and quitting for good.

Everyone who is trying to quit may benefit from using a

medication. If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant,

nursing, under age 18, smoking fewer than 10 cigarettes per

day, or have a medical condition, talk to your doctor or other

health care provider before taking medications.

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5. BE PREPARED FOR

RELAPSE OR DIFFICULT

SITUATIONS

Most relapses occur within the first 3 months after quitting.

Don’t be discouraged if you start smoking again. Remember,

most people try several times before they finally quit. Here are

some difficult situations to watch for. 

Alcohol. Avoid drinking alcohol. Drinking lowers your

chances of success.

Other smokers. Being around smoking can make you want

to smoke.

Weight gain. Many smokers will gain weight when they

quit, usually less than 10 pounds. Eat a healthy diet and stay

active. Don’t let weight gain distract you from your main

goal—quitting smoking. Some quit-smoking medications

may help delay weight gain.

Bad mood or depression. There are a lot of ways to improve

your mood other than smoking.

If you are having problems with any of these situations, talk to

your doctor or other health care provider. ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ 
SPECIAL SITUATIONS OR CONDITIONS

Studies suggest that everyone can quit smoking. Your situation or

condition can give you a special reason to quit.

Pregnant women/new mothers: By quitting, you protect your

baby’s health and your own.

Hospitalized patients: By quitting, you reduce health

problems and help healing.

Heart attack patients: By quitting, you reduce your risk of a

second heart attack.

Lung, head, and neck cancer patients: By quitting, you

reduce your chance of a second cancer.

Parents of children and adolescents: By quitting, you protect

your children and adolescents from illnesses caused by

second-hand smoke.

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QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT

Think about the following questions before you try to stop

smoking. You may want to talk about your answers with your

health care provider.

1. Why do you want to quit?

2. When you tried to quit in the past, what helped and what

didn’t?

3. What will be the most difficult situations for you after you

quit? How will you plan to handle them?

4. Who can help you through the tough times? Your family?

Friends? Health care provider?

5. What pleasures do you get from smoking? What ways can

you still get pleasure if you quit?
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Here are some questions to ask your health care provider.

1. How can you help me to be successful at quitting?

2. What medication do you think would be best for me and

how should I take it?

3. What should I do if I need more help?

4. What is smoking withdrawal like? How can I get

information on withdrawal?
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

You may want to contact these organizations for further

information on smoking and how to quit.

For general information:

American Heart Association

7272 Greenville Avenue

Dallas, TX 75231

(800) AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

American Cancer Society

1599 Clifton Road, NE

Atlanta, GA 30329

(404) 320-3333

American Lung Association

1740 Broadway, 14th Floor

New York, NY 10019

(212) 315-8700

National Cancer Institute

Bethesda, MD 20892

(800) 4-CANCER (422-6237)

For pregnant women:

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

409 12th Street, SW

Washington, DC 20024

(202) 638-5577

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FOR MORE INFORMATION

The information in this booklet was taken from Treating Tobacco

Use and Dependence, a Public Health Service-sponsored Clinical

Practice Guideline. This guideline was developed by a nonFederal panel of experts sponsored by a consortium consisting of

Federal Government and nonprofit organizations: Agency for

Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention (CDC), National Cancer Institute (NCI),

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National

Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Robert Wood Johnson

Foundation (RWJF), and University of Wisconsin Medical

School’s Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (CTRI).

For information about the guideline or to get more copies of this

booklet, call toll free: 800-358-9295, or write: 

Publications Clearinghouse

P.O. Box 8547

Silver Spring, MD 20907

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QUITTING TAKES HARD WORK

AND A LOT OF EFFORT, BUT—

You Can

Quit

Smoking
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Public Health Service

June 2000