Two-thirds of all smokers say they wish they could quit and almost all say they wish they had never started. The best strategies for quitting smoking combines behavioral counseling with medicine. Behavior Counseling and Support Adults smoke cigarettes out of physiological need, force of habit and to cope with psychological stress.
Medications help smokers overcome nicotine cravings.
Counseling programs provide the motivation, support and education that help smokers quit for good. Group programs or individual counseling can be extremely useful in helping smokers develop more effective coping skills for managing stress the most common the culprit for smoking relapse. The support of others who are also trying to quit is very helpful to those who take advantage of group programs. In Connecticut, groups are offered by the American Lung Association and through many work-site programs. Individual counseling can be obtained through hospital-based programs throughout Connecticut.