Step 1: Select Your Reason for Quitting.
Quitting smoking or chewing is one of the most important things you will ever do. Choose from below the main reasons you want to quit:
Methods To Help You Stop Using Tobacco
The good news is that there have never been so many choices of ways to quit using tobacco. Please select the method you plan to use from the list below.
Find out more about each method of quitting by rolling your mouse over each item below. Learn more about nicotine replacement therapies (NRT).
People who quit tobacco cold turkey choose not to use a quit aid to help them stop. The advantage to this method is that most of the nicotine is out of the body within a few days. It’s the simplest method: Stop using tobacco and choose to never have another cigarette.
Heavy tobacco users experience nicotine withdrawal for 2 to 3 weeks after quitting cold turkey. Symptoms include irritability, depression, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and restlessness. If you have had a difficult time trying to quit in the past, studies show you should consider trying an assisted quit method.
| NCMs provide a measured dose of nicotine to help ease physical withdrawal symptoms. Using this method allows you to concentrate on changing your tobacco habits without dealing with the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
For more information about medications, visit our Medicines To Help You Quit page.
NCMs can be harmful for pregnant women if the 24-hour patch is used or if excessive gum and/or sprays are used. Talk to your doctor before giving NCMs a try, especially if you are taking other medications. It is also important not to use tobacco when using an NCM because of the risks of a nicotine overdose. Symptoms of a nicotine overdose include muscular twitching, convulsions, coma, fainting, difficulty breathing, abdominal cramps, and vomiting.
| An effective way to quit tobacco is to combine counseling and NCM. Counseling can help you identify and overcome situations that trigger the urge to smoke.
For more information about medications, visit our Medicines To Help You Quit page.
If a certain forum or counselor doesn’t work for you, you can always try a different one.
| Tobacco cessation prescription medications are clinically proven to help smokers. They are easy to take, are nicotine-free, and come in a pill form. For more information on these products, consult with your doctor.
The known side effects include insomnia, dry mouth, and nausea. Prescription medications should not be used by patients with eating disorders or seizure disorders, or by those taking certain other medications. For more information on these products and the potential side effects, consult with your doctor.
| Some people may choose acupuncture, hypnosis, and homeopathic remedies to help them quit. Hypnosis helps you to relax when you get the desire to smoke or helps strengthen your determination to quit.
The alternative methods are not scientifically proven to be effective or clinically tested in the same way other therapies are. If you choose to use an alternative therapy, please make sure that the practitioner you use is qualified.
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