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Preparing to Quit

Congratulations!  You’ve decided to quit smoking. This is the most important action you can take towards your health. Preparing to quit is important  - you need to have both mental readiness and  the right environment to quit.

Think of all the reasons why you want, and need, to quit. Think of all the motivations that have driven you to this point.

A useful tool is to take pen to paper, and write all the reasons that you can think of.

What has motivated you to quit? Is it the expense of smoking?  Is it the fact that smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, or that smoking is known to decrease life expectancy by 10-15 years? You are likely to know that smoking causes a dramatic increase in your chance of developing lung and other cancers, heart disease, and respiratory illnesses such as emphysema.

Think of your kids. If you smoke there is a much greater risk that your children will smoke.  Don’t you owe it to your family to stop this dreadful habit? It is important to make a public commitment before you attempt to quit.  This may make your attempt to stop more successful.  If you tell others important in your life, they can support you in a successful smoking cessation program

Most smokers want to quit.  At least 80% of smokers have attempted to quit at least once.  Successful quitters have tried on average 5 times to quit before finally stopping for good. So if you’ve tried before, and it didn’t last, that may actually be a positive factor.  We all learn from our mistakes.  Remember this time it is going to be a lifelong decision.

Remember that it’s never too late to quit, no matter how old you are, how much you smoke, or how long you may have smoked. The benefits of quitting start only days after you stop smoking, and many of the harmful effects of smoking can be reversible after years of abstinence.