The Great American Smokeout: Quitting Smoking

Are you planning to quit tobacco? Research shows that if you pick a quit day that’s within the next 30 days and stick to it, you’ll be more likely to succeed in quitting. Why not pick the American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout November 18?

Here are some ways to prepare for your quit day:

• Pick the date and mark it on your calendar.
• Tell friends and family about your quit day.
• Visit cancer.org/smokeout and download the Quit Clock desktop helper. The Quit Clock lets you plug your quit day into your computer, and then counts down to the selected day. Each morning a new tip comes up to help you prepare to stop using tobacco.
• Download the Quit for Life mobile app, available on both iOS and Android platforms.
• Stock up on oral substitutes—sugarless gum, carrot sticks, or hard candy.
• Think back to your other attempts to quit. Try to figure out what worked and what didn’t work for you. There is no one right way to quit. Quitting tobacco is a lot like losing weight—it takes a strong commitment over a long period of time. Tobacco users may wish there was a magic bullet—a pill or method that would make quitting painless and easy, but, unfortunately, there’s nothing like that on the market. Nicotine substitutes can help reduce withdrawal symptoms, but they are most effective when used as part of a plan that addresses both the physical and psychological components of quitting tobacco.

Hoosiers can enroll in free tobacco cessation plans by contacting their doctor or visiting QuitNowIndiana.com.