Stop smoking
Wednesday 31 May 2006
If you're a smoker but want to wave goodbye to the dreaded weed, here are a few tips to kicking the ciggies for good.
Don't start
If you're not a smoker but have thought about it, you shouldn't start. Smoking can be hard to quit and you might think it looks cool or sexy but it doesn't. It's pretty smelly and nobody wants to kiss an ashtray or date somebody with fingers stained a minging shade of yellow from nicotine.
Want to quit
If you're going to try and stop smoking, you really have to want it. If you're not fully committed and not prepared to give it a decent try, you're likely to fall back into the habit pretty quickly.
Got a reason
Think about the reasons you want to stop smoking. Maybe it's a drain on your cash or people have noticed the smell of it on you. Perhaps a relative of yours has become ill through smoking. Whatever your reason is, when you're preparing to stop, try not to lose sight of why you're giving up.
Make a plan
Set yourself a date and time to stop and stick to it, no matter how many cigarettes you have in your packet. If you put it off then you're less likely to give up.
Money spinner
A good way of both realising how much you spend on cigarettes and also giving yourself an incentive to stop is to put aside the money you would be spending each day on cigarettes. You'd be surprised how quickly you build up enough to buy a CD or some music downloads or some credit for your phone. Doing something useful with the cash will benefit you much more than smoking it all away would do.
Get help if you need it
Your GP might be able to put you in touch with a programme in your local area that can help you stop smoking, or you can call the NHS Smoking helpline on 0800 169 0 169 for more info. Take a look at our list of related links for more details on getting help to stop smoking.
For stickers, postcards, leaflets and more stuff that's been put together especially for teenagers wanting to stop smoking, call the Quitline from smoking charity Quit on 0800 00 22 00.
Talk to Frank
You can now text FRANK anytime with a drug-related question. It's completely confidential and you'll receive a reply from a trained expert. Text your question to 82111.
It has also launched a new online self-help application that aims to help you quit cannabis. By tracking how much cannabis you take and when you get cravings, it'll help you control the situation. It is recommended that you take the course for at least four weeks. Find out more here.
