Quitting cigarettes on your terms
Ideas on tailoring a personal cessation plan

Ask people who’ve quit smoking and they’ll tell you it’s one of the most difficult things to do. But you can do it, just like 44 million others. And best of all, revolutionary programs, drugs and devices can help you stay committed to stopping.

Even if you’ve repeatedly tried, and failed, to stop smoking, that doesn’t mean you can’t. Whether it’s your first time or your tenth, having a strategy that you can work with gives you your best shot at quitting and lowering your risks of catastrophic illnesses, especially heart disease and cancer.

The old one-two

To quit, you must defeat both a tenacious nicotine craving and a well-worn habit of puffing on cigarettes for years on end—a one-two combination that makes stopping so difficult.

To stack the odds in your favor, set solid ground rules for your attempt, such as:

• Take your time. Be sure the clock and calendar are favorable. If you’ve got a big project at work or the holidays are just ahead, you’re probably going to be stressed.
• Make it personal. View stopping as an all-or-nothing obligation to yourself and your family that outweighs the physical and emotional struggle ahead.
• Ask why. Anticipate traps and how to deal with them. Examples: Brush your teeth if you start “tasting” a cigarette or envision a dream vacation with the money saved.
• Make changes. Breaking the habit means avoiding places and situations that trigger cravings. Don’t eat, drink and party with the gang while you’re trying to quit.
• Take action. Toss out lighters, matches and ashtrays. Deodorize the cars. Ask loved ones, friends and co-workers for support—and to not smoke around you.

Using new tools

Some quitters go cold turkey by using their experience, determination and coping skills. But other smokers are finding different, effective ways to stop smoking.

Either way, help is plentiful. You’ll find group support at your hospital or through the American Lung Association’s seven-session “Freedom from Smoking” program. If you prefer, you can receive individual counseling or even telephone support through a toll-free network.

You can also tap into some of these quit-smoking products:

The patch, which delivers controlled amounts of nicotine through your skin each day.

• Nicotine gum, which contains a dose of nicotine. After chewing it briefly, it’s placed against the cheek so the nicotine is absorbed.
• Nasal spray, which delivers nicotine into your nose, where it’s absorbed.
• Inhaler, a plastic tube containing nicotine that you inhale like a cigarette.
• Bupropion (Zyban, Wellbutrin), a prescription-only nicotine-free pill that mimics the effects of smoking on the brain.

Studies say patches, gum, drugs, inhalers or nasal mists, combined with clinical counseling, increase success rates by as much as 50 percent.

Before you embark on your campaign to quit, review your strategy with your doctor. Have him or her give you feedback on methods you might try that won’t interfere with any medications you might be taking.