Skip directly to site content Skip directly to search


Español  Other Languages


Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC twenty four seven. Saving Lives, Protecting People
 Search

		Submit


*Tips From Former Smokers* ®








Tips For Quitting						Español (Spanish)							Print
																Related Pages
										What happens when you talk to a quit coach, doctor, or other healthcare professional about quitting?help, support, advice, guidance, assistance, info on a directional sign with the sky in the background
This section provides tips you can get if you want help dealing with urges and cravings. These have all been shown to help, with or without medicines.
You can try some out and use them when you quit, or learn more about them first by calling the free and confidential 1-800-QUIT-NOW quitline.Adjust your medicine.Make your environment work for you.Distract yourself.Find safe substitutes for cigarettes.Listen to what the urge says, then talk back!Ride the waves!Top of PageAdjust your medicine.If your urges are hard to resist and you are using NRT, you may be able to use more. For instance, if you are using a lower-dose patch, you can increase to a higher dose. Or you can add the nicotine mini-lozenge or gum. Learn more about combining medicines. If you are using varenicline or bupropion, you can talk to your doctor or other healthcare professional about your urges, as well as using these other tips.Top of PageMake your environment work for you, not for smoking.You can change some things about your home, car, and work that will make it easier to quit and stay quit.
	Get rid of all the cigarettes in your home, in your car, and at work before you quit.
Get rid of things that you use while smoking like lighters, matches, and ashtrays.
Wash your clothes and anything else that smells of tobacco smoke.Tell people you’re quitting so they can support you.
	You might be tempted to smoke in social situations. During the first few weeks of quitting, try to avoid situations where you will be tempted to smoke and where cigarettes are available.
Tell the people you spend time with who smoke that you are quitting smoking. Ask them to support you by not smoking around you and not offering you cigarettes.
Ask the people you trust for help. A good way to resist urges and cravings is to call a friend. It also can help to go on a walk with someone, go to a movie, or just talk.
Let your doctor and other healthcare professionals such as dentists, counselors, pharmacists, and nurses know you are quitting so they can provide encouragement. They may even have additional suggestions that will help.Watch out for other temptations.
	Going shopping can be tempting, especially at a convenience store where it’s easy to buy cigarettes. For the first month, be careful where you shop, and if you are going anywhere that sells cigarettes, resolve before you go that you will not buy any cigarettes.
If you live in a community that still allows smoking in some public places, avoid those places, especially during the first couple of months. Secondhand smoke and seeing other people smoking can trigger cravings.
Contact any tobacco companies that send you promotions or other mailings and tell them to take you off their mailing lists. If they send you texts or emails, opt out of them.“No, I Won't Buy You Smokes”Low Resolution Video
You never know when a decision you make could undermine your efforts to quit smoking. James describes a moment he had with his roommate after he had resolved to stop smoking cigarettes. James realized the potential for relapse and took steps to make sure that it didn’t happen.Top of PageDistract yourself.When you have an urge to smoke, it may feel like the only thing you can focus on.
	woman outside closing her eyes smiling
In every moment, there is much more happening around you. Your ears are picking up sounds. Your eyes are taking in sights.Another way to deal with an urge is to drown it out by paying attention to something more interesting, important, or just different. Why should you pay attention to an urge to smoke when you could do so many other things instead.
	man and woman with towels and water bottle from exercising and a grey and white kitten
Listen to your favorite music.
Go for a walk or do something else physical.
Call or text a friend.
Play a video game or do a puzzle.
Watch a cat video (or whatever makes you laugh).Practice before quitting: The good news is that urges rapidly fade, especially if you distract yourself
	Make a list of good ways you can distract yourself. Try them out before you quit. Save the list. Then when you quit and get an urge, you can immediately choose something from the list.Low Resolution Video
Former smokers share their tips for quitting smoking.Top of PageFind safe substitutes for cigarettes.**Find some substitutes for cigarettes for your mouth and hands.** Keep them close by when you quit. Some ideas include:Use toothpicks, straws, or cinnamon sticks.
	These can be helpful when it is hard to leave a situation, like when you are driving, waiting for a bus, or at a restaurant. You can hold them in your fingers and bring them to your mouth like you would a cigarette.Use paper clips, pencils for doodling, or a squeeze ball.
	These can help you with nervous energy, like when you are on the phone or watching TV.Practice before quitting.
	In the days before you quit, try out different substitutes instead of smoking a cigarette. See which ones work for you so you can use them when you quit.“I Told Everyone I Stopped Smoking”Low Resolution Video
Beatrice describes things she did that helped her quit smoking. Find out how she recognized and avoided triggers.Top of PageListen to what the urge says, then talk back!Our minds are serving up thoughts to us all the time. Often a thought seems overpowering, and we assume that because the thought came from inside our mind, it must be true. But not all of our thoughts are true. In fact, when it comes to urges, your thoughts are going to try and convince you it’s OK to have a cigarette. You don’t have to listen!
	The trick is to be a detective and start noticing the thoughts that come up when you have an urge.
Sometimes the most interesting thought may come just before you are aware that you’re having an urge.What are some thoughts that tend to come up for you just before or during an urge?
	“Time for a cigarette.”
“If I don’t have a cigarette right now, I’m going to go crazy.”
“I need to make an excuse so I can go outside and smoke.”
“I’m under a lot of stress right now, so I deserve a cigarette.”
“This coffee will taste better with a cigarette.”
“If I don’t smoke a cigarette this urge will just get stronger and stronger, so it would be better to just smoke now.”
“It won’t hurt if I just have one.”As you become more aware of the thoughts you have around an urge, you can try out a new approach: Challenge the thoughts and try talking back to them. Think carefully about the thought and see if you can figure out what is not true about it, or a way to talk back to it. Click here for some examples:
	“I’m stressed, so I deserve a cigarette.” What could you say to that thought? Maybe you could talk back by saying:
“Yes, I’m stressed, so I deserve a break to breathe and relax.”
“Part of why I’m stressed is because I’m going through nicotine withdrawal. Once this urge passes, I’ll feel fine. And once I’ve quit for good, I’ll be less stressed.” By the way, this is true—once people have quit for a month or two, they feel less stress than they did before they quit.
Sometimes a thought you have might be true but not helpful for quitting. You can still talk back to it. For example, if you think, “It would be easier to just have a cigarette now,” you could admit to yourself:
“Yes, it would be easier now, but it is very important to me to quit smoking. If I give in and have a cigarette now, it will be much harder for me to stay quit. If I wait a bit, this urge will pass.”woman sitting on the floor reading and thinking
You can also couple “talking backs” with using a distraction or substitute to help them pass.
It is helpful to practice listening to urges and talking back before you quit. For starters, write down two thoughts that you remember having recently when you had an urge to smoke. Now, think about each of these thoughts, and write down a “talk back” response.Top of PageRide the waves!Many people assume they have to do something about their urges to smoke—either give in or fight. The feelings you get with an urge seem to demand action. But you don’t have to give in, and you don’t have to fight. If you just let the urge be, soon it will go away.
	large cresting wave
Some people find it helpful to think of urges like ocean waves. Rather than swimming to fight a wave, let the wave carry you up. Before you know it, the wave will go back down. This is the same with urges—rather than spending energy to fight them, just let them come and go, like waves.
The next time you feel an urge, don’t fight or give in, just pay attention to it. Let the urge get as strong as it wants, but don’t do anything about it. It might help to tell yourself what you are feeling: “I am having the thought that I really need a cigarette. My heart is beating a little faster. But these thoughts and feelings will be gone soon.” Talking about the experience out loud can take some of its power away.woman walking along beach with surf board
For most people, the urge will begin to dissolve after a few minutes. Of course, you will get more urges later, but they will weaken with time. Practice riding the wave a few times a day. Then when you quit for good, you’ll be able to ride the waves like a pro!All of these tactics to help deal with urges have been shown to help people who smoke to quit! They work best if you practice them before quitting. For more information, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW. A quit coach can help you with these and many other tips. It’s free and confidential!Audio Description Low Resolution Video
Watch a video about what you can expect when you call the quitline.
See the answers to 10 questions people ask about quitlines.Top of Page
Learn More About Quit-Smoking Medicines
							
					
							Last Reviewed:  September 12, 2023						Source: 	Smokefree.gov, Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
					Facebook
        Twitter
        LinkedIn
        Syndicate home*Tips From Former Smokers* ®
About the Campaignplus icon
Frequently Asked Questions
*Tips* Impact and Resultsplus icon
Publications and Evaluation Results
Burden of Cigarette Use in the U.S.
How to Quit Smokingplus icon
5 Ways Quitlines Helpplus icon
Top 10 Qs about Quitlines
National Texting Portal
quitSTART App
7 Common Withdrawal Symptoms
Tips For Quitting
Learn About Quit Smoking Medicinesplus icon
Three Reasons to Use Medicines When You Quitplus icon
They make quitting less painful
Quit smoking medicines are much safer than smoking
They help you get through the toughest times
How Quit Smoking Medicines Work
Quit Smoking Medicinesplus icon
Nicotine Patch
Nicotine Lozenge
Nicotine Gum
Nicotine Oral Inhaler
Nicotine Nasal Spray
Combining Medicines
Varenicline
Bupropion SR
Getting Coaching with Medicine
Quitting without Medicine
Five New Ways to Quit with Medicines
Six Quick Tipsplus icon
Medicine Tips Just for You
Why Quitting Smoking Is Hard
Quitting Storiesplus icon
Betty’s Story
Daniel’s Story
Select-Lot Varenicline Recall
Real Stories
Diseases/Conditions Featured in the Campaignplus icon
Asthma
Buerger’s Disease
Cancer
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Diabetes
Dual Use of Tobacco Products
Gum (Periodontal) Disease
Smoking and Heart Disease, Stroke and Peripheral Artery Disease
HIV
Mental Health Conditions: Depression and Anxiety
Pregnancy
Vision Loss and Blindness
For Specific Groupsplus icon
All Groups (General Public)
People With Disabilities
African American People
American Indian and Alaska Native People
Asian American People
Caregivers
Hispanic and Latino People
People Living with HIV
LGBTQ+ People
Military Service Members and Veterans
People With Mental Health Conditions
Pregnant or Planning to Have a Baby
Partnersplus icon
Faith-Based Organizations
Organizations Serving Military Members and Veteransplus icon
Media Outreach Toolkit
Organizations Serving Public Housing Residents
Campaign Resourcesplus icon
Social Media Content
Videos
Feature
Images and Photos
Print Ads
Motivational Cards
Newsroomplus icon
Matte Articlesplus icon
*Tips* Campaign for the General Public
*Tips* Campaign for African American Communities
*Tips* Campaign for American Indian / Alaska Native Communities
*Tips* Campaign for Asian American Communities
*Tips* Campaign for Faith Communities
*Tips* Campaign for Hispanic/Latino Communities
*Tips* Campaign for LGBTQ+ Community
*Tips* Campaign for People With Mental Health Conditions
*Tips* Campaign for Military Members/Veterans To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: Email Address                        
What's this                                     
Submit
 Smoking & Tobacco Use
Smokefree.govexternal icon
National Cancer Instituteexternal icon


About CDC
					Contact Us
					800-232-4636
 Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn Youtube Pinterest Snapchat
 CONTACT CDC
				Contact Us
							Call 800-232-4636
							Email Us
			ABOUT CDC
				About CDC
							Jobs
							Funding
			POLICIES
				Accessibility
							External Links
							Privacy
							Policies
							No Fear Act
							FOIA
							OIG
							Nondiscrimination
							Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
			CONNECT WITH US
				Facebook
								Twitter
								Instagram
								LinkedIn
							Youtube
								Pinterest
								Snapchat
								Email
			LANGUAGES
				Español
							繁體中文
							Tiếng Việt
							한국어
							Tagalog
							Русский
							العربية
							Kreyòl Ayisyen
							Français
							Polski
							Português
							Italiano
							Deutsch
							日本語
							فارسی
							English


U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
			Accessibility
			External Links
			Privacy
			Policies
			No Fear Act
			FOIA
			Nondiscrimination
			OIG
			Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
			USA.gov


Exit Notification / Disclaimer Policy Close
 Links with this icon  indicate that you are leaving the CDC website. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.
				Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
				You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link.
				CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website. Website Disclaimers
 Cancel Continue