How do I quit smoking? Create a Plan to Kick the Habit
Quitting smoking can be one of the most rewarding changes you make to improve your overall health. Quitting will reduce your risk of many types of cancer, including lung, bladder, larynx, pancreas, colorectal, and other cancers, as well as heart, lung, and other diseases.
But quitting is not always easy. The addictive nature of nicotine, a key component of cigarettes, can make it especially difficult, but not impossible. With support and a little planning, quitting smoking successfully can be done.
Francisco Cartujano, MD, assistant director for Wilmot Cancer Institute's Community Outreach and Engagement team and a smoking cessation researcher with Wilmot's Tobacco Cessation Program, and Jennifer Lee, TTS, MFT, tobacco treatment specialist and lead lifestyle counselor at the UR Medicine Center for Community Health & Prevention, share these tips to create a plan for the new year, or any time of year.
Choose a specific day to quit.
You can pick a date that is meaningful to you, like an anniversary or birthday, but it doesn鈥檛 have to be a special day. Any day is a good day to quit smoking! You may want to consider your weekly routine and what triggers you to smoke, and then choose a quit day around that. For example, if you often smoke on the weekend, Monday may be a better day to quit. If you have a stressful meeting every Tuesday, maybe Wednesday is a better day to quit. Choose a day that works best for you.
The night before your quit date, get rid of matches, ashtrays, lighters, and cigarettes. Don鈥檛 forget to remove any items you may have stashed in the car or workplace.
Identify your triggers.
What makes you want to smoke? These triggers could include stress, anxiety, boredom, watching TV, having coffee or alcohol, taking a break, driving, or talking on the phone. Social events, such as going out to a bar or seeing others smoking, can also trigger people to want to smoke. Come up with different ways you can deal with these triggers when they arise.
Plan activities to distract yourself.
Cravings only last a few minutes. If you can keep your mind busy for those few minutes, your craving may pass entirely. Activities could include going for a walk, playing games on your phone, deep breathing exercises, calling a friend to chat, replying to emails, reading, or starting out a new hobby, such as a puzzle or a craft.
Think about what help or support you might need.
Research tells us you鈥檙e more likely to have success if you have help. This includes help from your medical team or a counselor as well as your family and friends. Support also comes in the form of medications recommended by health care professionals. These can help you through the process. There are several FDA-approved medications: nicotine patches, gum, and lozenges as well nasal spray, bupropion, and varenicline.
If you have tried nicotine replacement therapies and did not have success, it is important to check if you used the right amount. Follow instructions carefully on the package and only use for the recommended amount of time. For nicotine gum, you may need to use the 鈥渃hew and park鈥� technique, instead of using it like regular chewing gum. .
Take advantage of resources available in your state or region. offers support to anyone via text message or an app on your smart phone. The at 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487) is available free to all residents.
Locally in the Rochester region, the Wilmot Cancer Institute鈥檚 Tobacco Cessation Program offers a personalized consultation with a tobacco specialist and nicotine patches, gum, and lozenges, at no charge to people living in the 27 counties around Rochester. Services are available in English or Spanish. Call or text (585) 504-9461 or email quitcenter@urmc.rochester.edu to sign up or learn more.
The UR Medicine Center for Community Health & Prevention has a team of physicians, a nurse practitioner, and tobacco cessation specialists that work collaboratively with individuals to develop an evidence-based plan for quitting or reducing smoking/vaping. The Center also hosts a free six-session Commit to Quit! Group program, offered virtually at various times throughout the year. Individual counseling and the Commit to Quit! group program are available in English and Spanish. To learn more, visit their website or call (585) 602-0720.
Whatever action you take next, it鈥檚 important to know that for most people, it takes many attempts before quitting for good. Don鈥檛 give up! Every little step forward helps, and you can always try again.