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Why is quitting so hard?

Your personal stop smoking plan, identify your smoking triggers, coping with nicotine withdrawal symptoms, manage cigarette cravings, preventing weight gain after you stop smoking, medication and therapy to help you quit, what to do if you slip or relapse, helping a loved one to stop smoking, how to quit smoking.

Ready to stop smoking? These tips will help you kick the cigarette habit for good.

We all know the health risks of smoking, but that doesn’t make it any easier to kick the habit. Whether you’re an occasional teen smoker or a lifetime pack-a-day smoker, quitting can be really tough.

Smoking tobacco is both a physical addiction and a psychological habit. The nicotine from cigarettes provides a temporary—and addictive—high. Eliminating that regular fix of nicotine causes your body to experience physical withdrawal symptoms and cravings. Because of nicotine’s “feel good” effect on the brain, you may turn to cigarettes as a quick and reliable way to boost your outlook, relieve stress, and unwind. Smoking can also be a way of coping with depression, anxiety, or even boredom. Quitting means finding different, healthier ways to cope with those feelings.

Smoking is also ingrained as a daily ritual. It may be an automatic response for you to smoke a cigarette with your morning coffee, while taking a break at work or school, or on your commute home at the end of a hectic day. Or maybe your friends, family, or colleagues smoke, and it’s become part of the way you relate with them.

To successfully stop smoking, you’ll need to address both the addiction and the habits and routines that go along with it. But it can be done. With the right support and quit plan, any smoker can kick the addiction—even if you’ve tried and failed multiple times before.

Speak to a Licensed Therapist

BetterHelp is an online therapy service that matches you to licensed, accredited therapists who can help with depression, anxiety, relationships, and more. Take the assessment and get matched with a therapist in as little as 48 hours.

While some smokers successfully quit by going cold turkey, most people do better with a tailored plan to keep themselves on track. A good quit plan addresses both the short-term challenge of stopping smoking and the long-term challenge of preventing relapse. It should also be tailored to your specific needs and smoking habits.

Questions to ask yourself

Take the time to think of what kind of smoker you are, which moments of your life call for a cigarette, and why. This will help you to identify which tips, techniques, or therapies may be most beneficial for you.

Are you a very heavy smoker (more than a pack a day)? Or are you more of a social smoker? Would a simple nicotine patch do the job?

Are there certain activities, places, or people you associate with smoking? Do you feel the need to smoke after every meal or whenever you break for coffee?

Do you reach for cigarettes when you’re feeling stressed or down? Or is your cigarette smoking linked to other addictions, such as alcohol or gambling ?

Start your stop smoking plan with START

S = Set a quit date.

Choose a date within the next two weeks, so you have enough time to prepare without losing your motivation to quit. If you mainly smoke at work, quit on the weekend, so you have a few days to adjust to the change.

T = Tell family, friends, and co-workers that you plan to quit.

Let your friends and family in on your plan to quit smoking and tell them you need their support and encouragement to stop. Look for a quit buddy who wants to stop smoking as well. You can help each other get through the rough times.

A = Anticipate and plan for the challenges you’ll face while quitting.

Most people who begin smoking again do so within the first three months. You can help yourself make it through by preparing ahead for common challenges, such as nicotine withdrawal and cigarette cravings.

R = Remove cigarettes and other tobacco products from your home, car, and work.

Throw away all of your cigarettes, lighters, ashtrays, and matches. Wash your clothes and freshen up anything that smells like smoke. Shampoo your car, clean your drapes and carpet, and steam your furniture.

T = Talk to your doctor about getting help to quit.

Your doctor can prescribe medication to help with withdrawal symptoms. If you can’t see a doctor, you can get many products over the counter at your local pharmacy, including nicotine patches, lozenges, and gum.

One of the best things you can do to help yourself quit is to identify the things that make you want to smoke, including specific situations, activities, feelings, and people.

Keep a craving journal

A craving journal can help you zero in on your patterns and triggers. For a week or so leading up to your quit date, keep a log of your smoking. Note the moments in each day when you crave a cigarette:

• What time was it?
• How intense was the craving (on a scale of 1-10)?
• What were you doing?
• Who were you with?
• How were you feeling?
• How did you feel after smoking?

Do you smoke to relieve unpleasant feelings?

Many of us smoke to manage unpleasant feelings such as stress, depression, loneliness, and anxiety. When you have a bad day, it can seem like cigarettes are your only friend. As much comfort as cigarettes provide, though, it’s important to remember that there are healthier and more effective ways to keep unpleasant feelings in check. These may include exercising, meditating, relaxation strategies , or simple breathing exercises.

For many people, an important aspect of giving up smoking is to find alternate ways to handle these difficult feelings without turning to cigarettes. Even when cigarettes are no longer a part of your life, the painful and unpleasant feelings that may have prompted you to smoke in the past will still remain. So it’s worth spending some time thinking about the different ways you intend to deal with stressful situations and the daily irritations that would normally have you lighting up.

Tips for avoiding common triggers

Alcohol. Many people smoke when they drink . Try switching to non-alcoholic drinks or drink only in places where smoking inside is prohibited. Alternatively, try snacking on nuts, chewing on a cocktail stick or sucking on a straw.

Other smokers. When friends, family, and co-workers smoke around you, it can be doubly difficult to give up or avoid relapse. Talk about your decision to quit so people know they won’t be able to smoke when you’re in the car with them or taking a coffee break together. In your workplace, find non-smokers to have your breaks with or find other things to do, such as taking a walk.

End of a meal. For some smokers, ending a meal means lighting up, and the prospect of giving that up may appear daunting. However, you can try replacing that moment after a meal with something else, such as a piece of fruit, a healthy dessert, a square of chocolate, or a stick of gum.

Once you stop smoking, you’ll likely experience a number of physical symptoms as your body withdraws from nicotine. Nicotine withdrawal begins quickly, usually starting within an hour of the last cigarette and peaking two to three days later. Withdrawal symptoms can last for a few days to several weeks and differ from person to person.

Common nicotine withdrawal symptoms include:

• Cigarette cravings
• Irritability, frustration, or anger
• Anxiety or nervousness
• Difficulty concentrating Restlessness
• Increased appetite
• Increased coughing
• Constipation or upset stomach
• Decreased heart rate

As unpleasant as these withdrawal symptoms may be, it’s important to remember that they are only temporary. They will get better in a few weeks as the toxins are flushed from your body. In the meantime, let your friends and family know that you won’t be your usual self and ask for their understanding.

While avoiding smoking triggers will help reduce your urge to smoke, you probably can’t avoid cigarette cravings entirely. Fortunately, cravings don’t last long—typically, about 5 or 10 minutes. If you’re tempted to light up, remind yourself that the craving will soon pass and try to wait it out. It helps to be prepared in advance by having strategies to cope with cravings.

Distract yourself. Do the dishes, turn on the TV, take a shower, or call a friend. The activity doesn’t matter as long as it gets your mind off smoking.

Remind yourself why you quit. Focus on your reasons for quitting, including the health benefits (lowering your risk for heart disease and lung cancer, for example), improved appearance, money you’re saving, and enhanced self-esteem.

Get out of a tempting situation. Where you are or what you’re doing may be triggering the craving. If so, a change of scenery can make all the difference.

Reward yourself. Reinforce your victories. Whenever you triumph over a craving, give yourself a reward to keep yourself motivated.

Coping with cigarette cravings in the moment

Find an oral substitute – Keep other things around to pop in your mouth when cravings hit. Try mints, carrot or celery sticks, gum, or sunflower seeds. Or suck on a drinking straw.

Keep your mind busy – Read a book or magazine, listen to some music you love, do a crossword or Sudoku puzzle, or play an online game.

Keep your hands busy – Squeeze balls, pencils, or paper clips are good substitutes to satisfy that need for tactile stimulation.

Brush your teeth – The just-brushed, clean feeling can help banish cigarette cravings.

Drink water – Slowly drink a large glass of water. Not only will it help the craving pass, but staying hydrated helps minimize the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.

Light something else – Instead of lighting a cigarette, light a candle or some incense.

Get active – Go for a walk, do some jumping jacks or pushups, try some yoga stretches, or run around the block.

Try to relax – Do something that calms you down, such as taking a warm bath, meditating, reading a book, or practicing deep breathing exercises.

Go somewhere smoking is not permitted – Step into a public building, store, mall, coffee shop, or movie theatre, for example.

Smoking acts as an appetite suppressant, so gaining weight is a common concern for many of us when we decide to give up cigarettes. You may even be using it as a reason not to quit. While it’s true that many smokers put on weight within six months of stopping smoking, the gain is usually small—about five pounds on average—and that initial gain decreases over time. It’s also important to remember that carrying a few extra pounds for a few months won’t hurt your heart as much as smoking does. However, gaining weight is NOT inevitable when you stop smoking.

Smoking dampens your sense of smell and taste, so after you quit food will often seem more appealing. You may also gain weight if you replace the oral gratification of smoking with eating unhealthy comfort foods. Therefore, it’s important to find other, healthy ways to deal with unpleasant feelings such as stress, anxiety, or boredom rather than  mindless, emotional eating .

Nurture yourself. Instead of turning to cigarettes or food when you feel stressed, anxious, or depressed, learn new ways to quickly soothe yourself . Listen to uplifting music, play with a pet, or sip a cup of hot tea, for example.

Eat healthy, varied meals. Eat plenty of fruit, vegetables, and healthy fats . Avoid sugary food , sodas, fried, and convenience food.

Learn to eat mindfully. Emotional eating tends to be automatic and virtually mindless. It’s easy to polish off a tub of ice cream while zoning out in front of the TV or staring at your phone. But by removing distractions when you eat, it’s easier to focus on how much you’re eating and tune into your body and how you’re really feeling. Are you really still hungry or eating for another reason?

Drink lots of water. Drinking at least six to eight 8 oz. glasses will help you feel full and keep you from eating when you’re not hungry. Water will also help flush toxins from your body.

Take a walk. Not only will it help you burn calories and keep the weight off , but it will also help alleviate feelings of stress and frustration that accompany smoking withdrawal.

Snack on guilt-free foods. Good choices include sugar-free gum, carrot and celery sticks, or sliced bell peppers or jicama.

There are many different methods that have successfully helped people to kick the smoking habit. While you may be successful with the first method you try, more likely you’ll have to try a number of different methods or a combination of treatments to find the ones that work best for you.

Medications

Smoking cessation medications can ease withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings. They are most effective when used as part of a comprehensive stop smoking program monitored by your physician. Talk to your doctor about your options and whether an anti-smoking medication is right for you. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved options are:

Nicotine replacement therapy. Nicotine replacement therapy involves “replacing” cigarettes with other nicotine substitutes, such as nicotine gum, patch, lozenge, inhaler, or nasal spray. It relieves some of the withdrawal symptoms by delivering small and steady doses of nicotine into your body without the tars and poisonous gases found in cigarettes. This type of treatment helps you focus on breaking your psychological addiction and makes it easier to concentrate on learning new behaviors and coping skills.

Non-nicotine medication. These medications help you stop smoking by reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms without the use of nicotine. Medications such as bupropion (Zyban) and varenicline (Chantix, Champix) are intended for short-term use only.

What you need to know about e-cigarettes (vaping)

While some people find that vaping can help them to stop smoking, the FDA has not approved vaping as a method of smoking cessation. And recent news reports have even linked vaping to severe lung disease, prompting many questions about the safety of vaping. Here’s what you need to know:

• In the United States, the FDA does not regulate e-cigarette products.
• The FDA warns that vaping is “not safe for youth, young adults, pregnant women, or adults who do not currently use tobacco products.”
• It’s hard to always know exactly what’s in e-cigarettes.
• The liquid used in some e-cigarettes contains nicotine, which has many negative health effects. It can lead to high blood pressure and diabetes and can be especially dangerous to the developing brains of children and teens.
• There is no information available about the long-term effects vaping can have on your health.
• Until more is known, federal and state authorities recommend avoiding all vaping.

To learn more, read: Vaping: The Health Risks and How to Quit

Alternative therapies

There are several things you can do to stop smoking that don’t involve nicotine replacement therapy, vaping, or prescription medications. These include:

Hypnosis – This is a popular option that has produced good results for many smokers struggling to quit. Forget anything you may have seen from stage hypnotists, hypnosis works by getting you into a deeply relaxed state where you are open to suggestions that strengthen your resolve to stop smoking and increase your negative feelings toward cigarettes.

Acupuncture – One of the oldest known medical techniques, acupuncture is believed to work by triggering the release of endorphins (natural pain relievers) that allow the body to relax. As a smoking cessation aid, acupuncture can be helpful in managing smoking withdrawal symptoms.

Behavioral Therapy – Nicotine addiction is related to the habitual behaviors or rituals involved in smoking. Behavior therapy focuses on learning new coping skills and breaking those habits.

Motivational Therapies – Self-help books and websites can provide a number of ways to motivate yourself to give up smoking. One well known example is calculating the monetary savings. Some people have been able to find the motivation to quit just by calculating how much money they will save. It may be enough to pay for a summer vacation.

Smokeless or spit tobacco is NOT a healthy alternative to smoking

Smokeless tobacco, otherwise known as spit or chewing tobacco, is not a safe alternative to smoking cigarettes. It contains the same addictive chemical, nicotine, contained in cigarettes. In fact, the amount of nicotine absorbed from smokeless tobacco can be 3 to 4 times the amount delivered by a cigarette.

Most people try to stop smoking several times before they kick the habit for good, so don’t beat yourself up if you slip up and smoke a cigarette. Instead, turn the relapse into a rebound by learning from your mistake. Analyze what happened right before you started smoking again, identify the triggers or trouble spots you ran into, and make a new stop-smoking plan that eliminates them.

It’s also important to emphasize the difference between a slip and a relapse. If you start smoking again, it doesn’t mean that you can’t get back on the wagon. You can choose to learn from the slip and let it motivate you to try harder or you can use it as an excuse to go back to your smoking habit. But the choice is yours. A slip doesn’t have to turn into a full-blown relapse.

You’re not a failure if you slip up. It doesn’t mean you can’t quit for good.

Don’t let a slip become a mudslide. Throw out the rest of the pack. It’s important to get back on the non-smoking track as soon as possible.

Look back at your quit log and feel good about the time you went without smoking.

Find the trigger. Exactly what was it that made you smoke again? Decide how you will cope with that issue the next time it comes up.

Learn from your experience. What has been most helpful? What didn’t work?

Are you using a medicine to help you quit? Call your doctor if you start smoking again. Some medicines cannot be used if you’re smoking at the same time.

It’s important to remember that you cannot make a friend or loved one give up cigarettes; the decision has to be theirs. But if they do make the decision to stop smoking, you can offer support and encouragement and try to ease the stress of quitting. Investigate the different treatment options available and talk them through with the smoker; just be careful never to preach or judge. You can also help a smoker overcome cravings by pursuing other activities with them, and by keeping smoking substitutes, such as gum, on hand.

If a loved one slips or relapses, don’t make them feel guilty. Congratulate them on the time they went without cigarettes and encourage them to try again. Your support can make all the difference in helping your loved one eventually kick the habit for good.

Helping a teen to quit

Most smokers try their first cigarette around the age of 11, and many are addicted by the time they turn 14. The use of e-cigarettes (vaping) has also soared dramatically in recent years. While the health implications of vaping aren’t yet fully known, the FDA warns that it’s not safe for teens and we do know that teens who vape are more likely to begin smoking cigarettes.

[Read: Vaping: The Health Risks and How to Quit]

This can be worrying for parents, but it’s important to appreciate the unique challenges and peer pressure teens face when it comes to quitting smoking (or vaping). While the decision to give up has to come from the teen smoker him- or herself, there are still plenty of ways for you to help.

Tips for parents of teens who smoke or vape

• Find out why your teen is smoking or vaping; they may want to be accepted by their peers or be seeking attention from you. Rather than making threats or ultimatums, talk about what changes can be made in their life to help them stop smoking.
• If your child agrees to quit, be patient and supportive as they go through the process.
• Set a good example by not smoking yourself. Parents who smoke are more likely to have kids who smoke.
• Know if your kids have friends that smoke or vape. Talk with them about how to refuse a cigarette or e-cigarette.
• Explain the health dangers and the unpleasant side effects smoking can have on their appearance (such as bad breath, discolored teeth and nails).
• Establish a smoke-free policy in your home. Don’t allow anyone to smoke or vape indoors at any time.

Hotlines and support

Visit  Smokefree.gov  or call the quitline at 1-800-784-8669.

Take steps NOW to stop smoking  or call the helpline at 0300 123 1044.

Visit  Health Canada  or call the helpline at 1-866-366-3667.

QuitNow  or call 13 7848.

Nicotine Anonymous  offers a 12-Step program modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous with meetings in many different countries.

More Information

• Join Freedom From Smoking - Smoking cessation program. (American Lung Association)
• How to Quit Using Tobacco - Dealing with both the mental and physical addiction. (American Cancer Society)
• How to Help Someone Quit Smoking - General hints for friends and family supporting someone who is quitting. (American Cancer Society)
• Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders. (2013). In Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . American Psychiatric Association. Link
• Lopez-Quintero, C., Pérez de los Cobos, J., Hasin, D. S., Okuda, M., Wang, S., Grant, B. F., & Blanco, C. (2011). Probability and predictors of transition from first use to dependence on nicotine, alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine: Results of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 115(1–2), 120–130. Link
• Quit Smoking | Smokefree. (n.d.). Retrieved August 2, 2021, from Link
• US Preventive Services Task Force. (2021). Interventions for Tobacco Smoking Cessation in Adults, Including Pregnant Persons: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA, 325(3), 265–279. Link
• Leone, F. T., Zhang, Y., Evers-Casey, S., Evins, A. E., Eakin, M. N., Fathi, J., Fennig, K., Folan, P., Galiatsatos, P., Gogineni, H., Kantrow, S., Kathuria, H., Lamphere, T., Neptune, E., Pacheco, M. C., Pakhale, S., Prezant, D., Sachs, D. P. L., Toll, B., … Farber, H. J. (2020). Initiating Pharmacologic Treatment in Tobacco-Dependent Adults. An Official American Thoracic Society Clinical Practice Guideline. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 202(2), e5–e31. Link
• Complementary Health Approaches for Smoking Cessation: What the Science Says. (n.d.). NCCIH. Retrieved August 2, 2021, from Link
• Miller, Jacqueline W., Timothy S. Naimi, Robert D. Brewer, and Sherry Everett Jones. Binge Drinking and Associated Health Risk Behaviors among High School Students. Pediatrics 119, no. 1 (January 2007): 76–85. Link
• O’Brien, Charles P. Evidence-Based Treatments of Addiction. FOCUS 9, no. 1 (January 1, 2011): 107–17. Link

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Cigarette Smoking: Health Risks and How to Quit (PDQ®)–Patient Version

What is prevention.

Cancer prevention is action taken to lower the chance of getting cancer. By preventing cancer, the number of new cases of cancer in a group or population is lowered. Hopefully, this will lower the number of deaths caused by cancer.

To prevent new cancers from starting, scientists look at risk factors and protective factors . Anything that increases your chance of developing cancer is called a cancer risk factor; anything that decreases your chance of developing cancer is called a cancer protective factor.

Some risk factors for cancer can be avoided, but many cannot. For example, both smoking and inheriting certain genes are risk factors for some types of cancer, but only smoking can be avoided. Regular exercise and a healthy diet may be protective factors for some types of cancer. Avoiding risk factors and increasing protective factors may lower your risk but it does not mean that you will not get cancer.

General Information About Tobacco Use

Smoking is the leading cause of cancer in the united states., smoking causes many other health problems., being exposed to secondhand smoke increases the risk of cancer and other diseases..

Smoking increases the risk of many types of cancer . These include:

• Lung cancer .
• Throat cancer .
• Mouth cancer .
• Nasal cavity cancer.
• Esophageal cancer .
• Stomach cancer .
• Pancreatic cancer .
• Kidney cancer .
• Bladder cancer .
• Cervical cancer .
• Acute myeloid leukemia .

A smoker’s risk of cancer can be 2 to 10 times higher than it is for a person who never smoked. This depends on how much and how long the person smoked.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. In 2014, about 19% of adult men and about 15% of adult women were smokers. In the last 30 years, the total number of smokers has decreased, especially among men. Since the 1980s, deaths caused by lung cancer in men have been decreasing.

From 2011 to 2014, smoking decreased among middle school and high school students. Cigarette smoking among male and female high school students of all ethnic groups increased markedly during the early 1990s, with rates between 20% and 30%. By 2021, smoking in this population had declined to 2%. Raising the legal age to buy and use tobacco products is being studied as a way to prevent or decrease smoking and other tobacco use among young people.

Smoking is linked with many diseases besides cancer. These include:

• Heart disease .
• Emphysema .
• Bronchitis .

Other health problems that may be linked to smoking are:

• Cataracts .
• Bone disease.
• Trouble becoming pregnant .

Smoking during pregnancy may cause problems such as slow growth of the fetus and low birth weight .

Smoking can also affect the health of nonsmokers. Smoke that comes from the burning of a tobacco product or smoke that is exhaled by smokers is called secondhand smoke . Inhaling secondhand smoke is called involuntary or passive smoking.

The same cancer-causing chemicals inhaled by tobacco smokers are inhaled in lower amounts by people exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke. Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke have a higher risk of lung cancer and coronary heart disease . Children exposed to tobacco smoke have higher risks of the following:

• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
• Worsened asthma .
• Ear infections .
• Respiratory problems such as lung infections, coughing, wheezing, or trouble breathing.

Health Risks of Smoking and Ways to Quit

Quitting smoking improves health in smokers of all ages., drug treatment, smoking reduction, there are new and different types of tobacco and nicotine products., cancer prevention clinical trials are used to study ways to prevent cancer., new ways to help smokers quit are being studied in clinical trials..

The risk of most health problems from smoking, including cancer and heart and lung disease, can be lowered by stopping smoking. People of all ages can improve their health if they quit smoking. Quitting at a younger age will improve a person's health even more. People who quit smoking cut their risk of lung cancer by 30% to 50% after 10 years compared to people who keep smoking, and they cut their risk of cancer of the mouth or esophagus in half within 5 years after quitting.

The damage caused by smoking is even worse for people who have had cancer. They have an increased risk of cancer recurrence , new cancers, and long-term side effects from cancer treatment. Quitting smoking and stopping other unhealthy behaviors can improve long-term health and quality of life .

The Public Health Service has a set of guidelines called Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence . It asks health care professionals to talk to their patients about the health problems caused by smoking and the importance of quitting smoking.

Different ways to quit smoking have been studied. The following are the most common methods used to help smokers quit:

People who have even a short counseling session with a health care professional are more likely to quit smoking. Your doctor or other health care professional may take the following steps to help you quit:

• Ask about your smoking habits at every visit.
• Advise you to stop smoking.
• Ask you how willing you are to quit.
• setting a date to quit smoking;
• giving you self-help materials;
• recommending drug treatment.
• Plan follow-up visits with you.

The Lung Health Study found that heavy smokers who received counseling from a doctor, took part in group sessions with other smokers to change their behavior, and used nicotine gum were more likely to quit smoking compared with smokers who did not receive counseling from a doctor, take part in group sessions, and use nicotine gum. They also had a lower risk of lung cancer, other cancers, heart disease , and respiratory disease .

Childhood cancer survivors who smoke may be more likely to quit when they take part in programs that use peer-counseling. In these programs, childhood cancer survivors are trained in ways to give support to other childhood cancer survivors who smoke and want to quit. More people quit smoking with peer-counseling than with self-help programs. If you are a childhood cancer survivor and you smoke, talk to your doctor about peer-counseling programs.

Treatment with drugs is also used to help people quit smoking. These include nicotine replacement products and non-nicotine medicines . People who use any type of drug treatment are more likely to quit smoking after 6 months than those who use a placebo or no drug treatment at all.

Nicotine replacement products have nicotine in them. You slowly reduce the use of the nicotine product in order to reduce the amount of nicotine you take in. Using a nicotine replacement product can help break the addiction to nicotine. It lessens the side effects of nicotine withdrawal, such as feeling depressed or nervous, having trouble thinking clearly, or having trouble sleeping. Nicotine replacement products, used alone or in combination, have been shown to help people quit smoking. These include:

• Nicotine gum.
• Nicotine patches .
• Nicotine nasal spray .
• Nicotine inhalers .
• Nicotine lozenges .

Nicotine replacement products can cause problems in some people, especially:

• Women who are pregnant or breast -feeding.
• Heart rhythm problems.
• High blood pressure that is not controlled.
• Esophagitis .
• Insulin -dependent diabetes .

Other medicines that do not have nicotine in them are used to help people quit smoking. These include:

• Bupropion (also called Zyban).
• Varenicline (also called Chantix).

These medicines lessen nicotine craving and nicotine withdrawal symptoms .

It is important to know that bupropion and varenicline may cause serious psychiatric problems. Symptoms include:

• Changes in behavior.
• Aggressive behavior.
• Nervousness.
• Depression .
• Suicidal thoughts and attempted suicide.

Varenicline may also cause serious heart problems.

Before starting to take bupropion or varenicline, talk to your doctor about the important health benefits of quitting smoking and the small but serious risk of problems with the use of these drugs.

When smokers do not quit smoking completely but smoke fewer cigarettes (smoking reduction) they may still benefit. The more you smoke, the higher your risk of lung cancer and other cancers related to smoking. Studies show that smokers who cut back are more likely to stop smoking in the future.

Smoking less is not as helpful as quitting smoking altogether, and is harmful if you inhale more deeply or smoke more of each cigarette to try to control nicotine cravings. In smokers who do not plan to quit smoking completely, nicotine replacement products have been shown to help them cut down the number of cigarettes they smoke, but this effect does not appear to last over time.

The following resources can help you quit smoking:

• Consumer information about quitting smoking is available at the www.smokefree.gov website.
• The online QuitGuide may help you understand reasons for smoking and the best ways to quit.
• The booklet Clearing the Air: Quit Smoking Today can be ordered at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) or printed here .

The use of new or different types of tobacco products and devices that deliver nicotine is increasing rapidly in the United States, especially the use of electronic-cigarettes (e-cigarettes) by adults and adolescents .

Examples of new and different tobacco and nicotine products and devices include the following:

• E-cigarettes.
• Small cigars .
• Water pipes (hookahs) for smoking tobacco.
• Flavored smokeless tobacco products.

More studies are needed to understand the risks and benefits of using these products.

Cancer prevention clinical trials are used to study ways to lower the risk of developing certain types of cancer. Some cancer prevention trials are conducted with healthy people who have not had cancer but who have an increased risk for cancer. Other prevention trials are conducted with people who have had cancer and are trying to prevent another cancer of the same type or to lower their chance of developing a new type of cancer. Other trials are done with healthy volunteers who are not known to have any risk factors for cancer.

The purpose of some cancer prevention clinical trials is to find out whether actions people take can prevent cancer. These may include eating fruits and vegetables, exercising, quitting smoking, or taking certain medicines, vitamins , minerals , or food supplements .

Information about clinical trials supported by NCI can be found on NCI’s clinical trials search webpage. Clinical trials supported by other organizations can be found on the ClinicalTrials.gov website.

About This PDQ Summary

Physician Data Query (PDQ) is the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) comprehensive cancer information database. The PDQ database contains summaries of the latest published information on cancer prevention, detection, genetics, treatment, supportive care, and complementary and alternative medicine. Most summaries come in two versions. The health professional versions have detailed information written in technical language. The patient versions are written in easy-to-understand, nontechnical language. Both versions have cancer information that is accurate and up to date and most versions are also available in Spanish .

PDQ is a service of the NCI. The NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIH is the federal government’s center of biomedical research. The PDQ summaries are based on an independent review of the medical literature. They are not policy statements of the NCI or the NIH.

Purpose of This Summary

This PDQ cancer information summary has current information about the prevention and cessation of cigarette smoking and the control of tobacco use. It is meant to inform and help patients, families, and caregivers. It does not give formal guidelines or recommendations for making decisions about health care.

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Editorial Boards write the PDQ cancer information summaries and keep them up to date. These Boards are made up of experts in cancer treatment and other specialties related to cancer. The summaries are reviewed regularly and changes are made when there is new information. The date on each summary ("Updated") is the date of the most recent change.

The information in this patient summary was taken from the health professional version, which is reviewed regularly and updated as needed, by the PDQ Screening and Prevention Editorial Board .

Clinical Trial Information

A clinical trial is a study to answer a scientific question, such as whether one treatment is better than another. Trials are based on past studies and what has been learned in the laboratory. Each trial answers certain scientific questions in order to find new and better ways to help cancer patients. During treatment clinical trials, information is collected about the effects of a new treatment and how well it works. If a clinical trial shows that a new treatment is better than one currently being used, the new treatment may become "standard." Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. Some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment.

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PDQ® Screening and Prevention Editorial Board. PDQ Cigarette Smoking. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute. Updated <MM/DD/YYYY>. Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/tobacco/quit-smoking-pdq . Accessed <MM/DD/YYYY>. [PMID: 26389305]

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Quitting Smoking: Strategies and Consequences Essay

Attention getter.

Health statistics show that out of every ten people at least three are habitual smokers and five have ever smoked. This implies that at least one third of the world’s population comprises of smokers. People smoke for different reasons such as fun, peer pressure and intoxication. Interesting enough, some chain smokers do not know why they smoke. Thus, for the world to realize a common positive improvement in population health, people must know the consequences of smoking not only for the smoker but also the society. Forums of this nature are important as they provide a chance through which people can be taught on how to quit smoking (Gately, 2010).

Smoking is harmful not only to one’s health and although smoking is both habitual and addictive, it is possible to completely stop smoking and live a healthy lifestyle.

The first step towards quitting smoking is being able to exhaustively comprehend the effects of smoking. No other proper medicine has ever been prescribed for quitting smoking apart from self-evaluation. Once a person realizes the dangers and risks that they expose themselves by smoking, they then embark on the important journey of quitting (Goldberg, 2011).

In order to stop smoking, one must consider the reasons why they smoke. If they have no reason to smoke, then they definitely need to smoke. In most cases, people smoke due to peer pressure or idleness. Thus, people are encouraged to avoid smoking groups and to find something they can engage themselves with especially during leisure time. Activities such as participation in sports shield the mind against thoughts of smoking.

Another important step is avoiding situations that tend to stimulate smoking. For example, a person who drinks and smokes will be tempted to smoke once in a drinking joint. Smoking is highly associated with alcoholism and people can be encouraged to reduce their drinking rates. More so, it is highly recommended that smokers who also drink alcohol try to jointly quit the two vices (Gately, 2010).

Quitting smoking does not happen in a fortnight. The habit gradually diminishes until it finally vanishes. The management of withdrawal symptoms becomes a vital aspect of the whole process. A person quitting smoking may occasionally feel the need to take one or two cigars. In such cases, it is medically recommended that one takes more fluids.

Quitting smoking makes an individual free of the several cancers associated with smoking. More so, the person experiences improved income management due to reduced expenditure on smoking. The whole society is also safe from the effects of perceiving smoking. Fires resulting from irresponsible smoking are also reduced.

Vendors will definitely complain of reduced revenue since their sales go down when people opt to quit smoking. Furthermore, people who quit smoking may also develop other vices if not well managed. In rare cases, such people may go for harder drugs due to mismanagement of withdrawal symptoms as they always tend to be restless.

In order to curb the negative effects associated with quitting smoking, measures should be in place to ensure the rehabilitates are occupied. Smoking is associated with lung complications hence people quitting smoking should exercise to maintain normal metabolic rates (Golberg, 2011).

A person is likely to overcome smoking if the quitting action is accompanied by continuous counseling sessions. Once one has opted to stop smoking, the whole society should accord him all the necessary support to help him quit the habit. Remember, the effects of smoking are far spread beyond the individual smoker. Finally, whoever never smoked and intends or shows signs of smoking should be appropriately advised to keep off the habit as this will save more people from this deadly menace.

In conclusion, smoking is not a permanent habit. Individual evaluation and management is the only known strategy to help quit smoking and smokers who contemplate quitting should come out and seek the appropriate help. The whole process begins with individual acceptance and willingness to change.

Gately, I. (2010). Tobacco: A Cultural History of How an Exotic Plant Seduced Civilization . London, UK: McGraw Hill.

Goldberg, R. (2011) Drugs Across the Spectrum . New York, NY: Thomson Brooks/Cole.

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IvyPanda. (2020, May 28). Quitting Smoking: Strategies and Consequences. https://ivypanda.com/essays/quitting-smoking-strategies-and-consequences/

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IvyPanda . 2020. "Quitting Smoking: Strategies and Consequences." May 28, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/quitting-smoking-strategies-and-consequences/.

1. IvyPanda . "Quitting Smoking: Strategies and Consequences." May 28, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/quitting-smoking-strategies-and-consequences/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Quitting Smoking: Strategies and Consequences." May 28, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/quitting-smoking-strategies-and-consequences/.

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How to Quit Smoking

Most people who smoke know that smoking is bad for their health and harmful to those around them. They know they should quit but they also know it's not easy. Most people who smoke have tried to quit before. Fortunately, there's lots of help available. The American Lung Association can help tobacco users figure out their reasons for quitting and then take the big step of quitting for good.

Learn Five Secrets to Quitting Smoking

Are you ready to quit? These five tips can help you on the path to success.

Know Your Reasons for Quitting

Why do you want to quit smoking? Knowing why you want to quit is an important step in the process of quitting and can help keep you motivated when it gets tough. Check out some common reasons people have for quitting smoking and start thinking about your most important reason.

Talk to a Doctor

Your doctor or other healthcare providers can be a key resource as you're trying to quit smoking. They can talk to you about medications to help you quit and put you in contact with local resources. Read questions and answers from a medical expert.

Understand What to Expect

Quitting smoking is a journey, not a single event. Knowing what to expect can help you along the way.

Quitting smoking is the single most important step a smoker can take to improve the length and quality of his or her life. Stopping smoking can be tough but it’s easier when you’re not trying to do it all by yourself. The American Lung Association has lots of options to help smokers quit smoking for good.

• Freedom From Smoking ® The American Lung Association has helped hundreds of thousands of people quit smoking through Freedom From Smoking. Available online, through group clinics and a self-help workbook, Freedom From Smoking teaches the skills and techniques that have been proven to help tobacco users end their addiction and become smokefree.

Tips for parents

Do you need help talking to your kids about smoking? We have tips on keeping your kids from smoking and encouraging them to quit if they've already started to smoke.

Page last updated: May 31, 2023

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Tips For Quitting

This section provides tips you can get if you want help dealing with urges and cravings. These have all been shown to help, with or without medicines.

You can try some out and use them when you quit, or learn more about them first by calling the free and confidential 1-800-QUIT-NOW quitline.

• If your urges are hard to resist and you are using NRT, you may be able to use more. For instance, if you are using a lower-dose patch, you can increase to a higher dose. Or you can add the nicotine mini-lozenge or gum. Learn more about combining medicines. If you are using varenicline or bupropion, you can talk to your doctor or other healthcare professional about your urges, as well as using these other tips.
• Get rid of all the cigarettes in your home, in your car, and at work before you quit.
• Get rid of things that you use while smoking like lighters, matches, and ashtrays.
• Wash your clothes and anything else that smells of tobacco smoke.
• You might be tempted to smoke in social situations. During the first few weeks of quitting, try to avoid situations where you will be tempted to smoke and where cigarettes are available.
• Tell the people you spend time with who smoke that you are quitting smoking. Ask them to support you by not smoking around you and not offering you cigarettes.
• Ask the people you trust for help. A good way to resist urges and cravings is to call a friend. It also can help to go on a walk with someone, go to a movie, or just talk.
• Let your doctor and other healthcare professionals such as dentists, counselors, pharmacists, and nurses know you are quitting so they can provide encouragement. They may even have additional suggestions that will help.
• Going shopping can be tempting, especially at a convenience store where it’s easy to buy cigarettes. For the first month, be careful where you shop, and if you are going anywhere that sells cigarettes, resolve before you go that you will not buy any cigarettes.
• If you live in a community that still allows smoking in some public places, avoid those places, especially during the first couple of months. Secondhand smoke and seeing other people smoking can trigger cravings.
• Contact any tobacco companies that send you promotions or other mailings and tell them to take you off their mailing lists. If they send you texts or emails, opt out of them.

You never know when a decision you make could undermine your efforts to quit smoking. James describes a moment he had with his roommate after he had resolved to stop smoking cigarettes. James realized the potential for relapse and took steps to make sure that it didn’t happen.

• In every moment, there is much more happening around you. Your ears are picking up sounds. Your eyes are taking in sights.

• Listen to your favorite music.
• Go for a walk or do something else physical.
• Call or text a friend.
• Play a video game or do a puzzle.
• Watch a cat video (or whatever makes you laugh).
• Make a list of good ways you can distract yourself. Try them out before you quit. Save the list. Then when you quit and get an urge, you can immediately choose something from the list.

Former smokers share their tips for quitting smoking.

Find some substitutes for cigarettes for your mouth and hands. Keep them close by when you quit. Some ideas include:

• These can be helpful when it is hard to leave a situation, like when you are driving, waiting for a bus, or at a restaurant. You can hold them in your fingers and bring them to your mouth like you would a cigarette.
• These can help you with nervous energy, like when you are on the phone or watching TV.
• In the days before you quit, try out different substitutes instead of smoking a cigarette. See which ones work for you so you can use them when you quit.

Beatrice describes things she did that helped her quit smoking. Find out how she recognized and avoided triggers.

• The trick is to be a detective and start noticing the thoughts that come up when you have an urge.
• Sometimes the most interesting thought may come just before you are aware that you’re having an urge.
• “Time for a cigarette.”
• “If I don’t have a cigarette right now, I’m going to go crazy.”
• “I need to make an excuse so I can go outside and smoke.”
• “I’m under a lot of stress right now, so I deserve a cigarette.”
• “This coffee will taste better with a cigarette.”
• “If I don’t smoke a cigarette this urge will just get stronger and stronger, so it would be better to just smoke now.”
• “It won’t hurt if I just have one.”
• “Yes, I’m stressed, so I deserve a break to breathe and relax.”
• “Part of why I’m stressed is because I’m going through nicotine withdrawal. Once this urge passes, I’ll feel fine. And once I’ve quit for good, I’ll be less stressed.” By the way, this is true—once people have quit for a month or two, they feel less stress than they did before they quit.
• “Yes, it would be easier now, but it is very important to me to quit smoking. If I give in and have a cigarette now, it will be much harder for me to stay quit. If I wait a bit, this urge will pass.”

You can also couple “talking backs” with using a distraction or substitute to help them pass.

It is helpful to practice listening to urges and talking back before you quit. For starters, write down two thoughts that you remember having recently when you had an urge to smoke. Now, think about each of these thoughts, and write down a “talk back” response.

• Some people find it helpful to think of urges like ocean waves. Rather than swimming to fight a wave, let the wave carry you up. Before you know it, the wave will go back down. This is the same with urges—rather than spending energy to fight them, just let them come and go, like waves.
• The next time you feel an urge, don’t fight or give in, just pay attention to it. Let the urge get as strong as it wants, but don’t do anything about it. It might help to tell yourself what you are feeling: “I am having the thought that I really need a cigarette. My heart is beating a little faster. But these thoughts and feelings will be gone soon.” Talking about the experience out loud can take some of its power away.

For most people, the urge will begin to dissolve after a few minutes. Of course, you will get more urges later, but they will weaken with time. Practice riding the wave a few times a day. Then when you quit for good, you’ll be able to ride the waves like a pro!

All of these tactics to help deal with urges have been shown to help people who smoke to quit! They work best if you practice them before quitting. For more information, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW . A quit coach can help you with these and many other tips. It’s free and confidential!

Watch a video about what you can expect when you call the quitline.

See the answers to 10 questions people ask about quitlines.

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How to Realistically Quit Smoking: 24+ Steps to Take Right Now

• How to Quit
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What to Do Instead of Smoking

Quitting smoking is challenging. You may have heard the term, “quitting nicotine is harder than quitting heroin,” and according to some research, that sentiment is true.

Combining nicotine dependence and the habitual nature of smoking is what makes it such a brutal vice to overcome, but some ways you can quit smoking include:

• Medications
• Cessation devices such as vapes, inhalers, gums, and patches

This article discusses the various quit-smoking aids available, how to get through nicotine withdrawals, and resources to help you when it seems impossible to quit.

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How to Quit Smoking: Goal Setting and Available Options

Smoking tobacco can lead to various harmful health effects, such as various cancers , chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) , and heart disease. It is the leading cause of preventable death.

Because of that, medical professionals have worked tirelessly to help smokers kick the habit through different quit-smoking aids and cessation devices.

Natural/Herbal Therapies

There are several natural approaches people can take when it comes to quitting smoking. They include:

• Acupuncture: Acupuncture involves the use of thin needles placed into various points in the body to help relieve cravings and help people quit smoking. For smoking, the needles are placed into multiple areas in the ear. Research shows that acupuncture can be a great help alongside other smoking cessation devices when quitting smoking.
• Black pepper essential oils: While black pepper essential oil is not a miracle quit-smoking aid, research has shown that it can help reduce intense cigarette cravings in people trying to quit. To use this aid, you place one drop of the essential oil onto a tissue and inhale it for two minutes until the craving diminishes.
• Fresh lime juice: While further research is needed, studies have found that lime juice could be just as effective, if not more so, than nicotine gum. While experiencing a craving, people can consume lime juice to help abstain from smoking.
• Meditation: Meditation and mindfulness involve retraining the mind to improve overall well-being. According to research, using meditation as a way to help quit smoking can be effective in some people by changing the way they cope with specific scenarios that cause them to smoke while also managing the negative feelings of withdrawal.

Statistics on Quitting Smoking

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), over half of all adult smokers attempt to quit each year. Only 8% of people who try to stop succeed in the six to 12 months following their attempt. While that number may be low and disheartening, it doesn't mean that your attempts have to go the same way. It also doesn't mean that you can't continue to try to quit even if you've relapsed.

Medical Ways 

Those who need medical intervention to quit smoking can try oral medications designed to turn people “off” of smoking. These medications include:

• Chantix (varenicline)
• Zyban (bupropion, Wellbutrin)

These medications work by:

• Reducing cravings for nicotine and withdrawal symptoms
• Mimicking the effects of nicotine on the brain so that you don’t feel the urge to smoke
• Reduces enjoyment in smoking by stimulating parts of the brain that nicotine usually attaches to

Medications, although viable and effective, do come with side effects. That said, since these medications are designed for temporary use, the health benefits far outweigh the side effects that could develop when taking these medications.

Disparities and Limitations of Current Treatments

While there are many therapies available to quit smoking, cost, and accessibility remains a factor for many people who smoke. Medications and other smoking cessation aids and treatments could end up costing more than a person can afford, or their insurance does not cover it. This can make the stress of quitting smoking harder to deal with and, thus, more challenging to achieve. Many states have toll-free quit lines that can connect people trying to quit with free counseling and some nicotine replacement therapies.

Cold Turkey

Cold turkey is the most natural approach to quitting smoking. It involves picking a quit date and completely removing tobacco from your life in one go.

People who quit this way will have to deal with nicotine withdrawal symptoms that are much worse than if they used a smoking aid. However, quitting smoking cold turkey can actually be a viable way to kick the habit.

Many studies examined the success rates of quitting smoking cold turkey and found that cutting it out and sticking to it may be the most effective way to quit smoking over all other types. However, it depends on how heavily a person smokes.

Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms

People may experience several withdrawal symptoms when quitting smoking, some of the most common including:

• Strong urges or cravings to smoke
• Irritability, mood swings, feeling upset
• Feeling restless or jumpy
• Difficulty concentrating
• Sleep disturbances
• Weight gain and increased appetite
• An increase or new onset of feelings of anxiety, sadness, or depression

Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy has been studied as a possible aid in quitting smoking. A hypnotherapist leads a person into a meditative and focused mental state. This is designed to open someone’s mind up to more suggestive advice. Then, the hypnotherapist targets specific triggers and adverse outcomes of smoking to help “trick” the mind into quitting.

Research surrounding hypnotherapy as a quit-smoking aid has found that it could be beneficial for those who want to quit, but when used alone, people may find that success rates are low. The best way to use hypnotherapy to quit smoking is alongside other cessation aids, such as nicotine replacement therapy.

Counseling for quitting smoking involves meeting with a mental healthcare specialist to discuss the impacts smoking has on a person, as well as their current lifestyle and state of mind. In recent studies, counseling has been shown to increase the chances that a person succeeds when quitting smoking by roughly 40–80%. Individual and group counseling can be used effectively.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)

Nicotine replacement therapy, or NRT, works by delivering small amounts of nicotine to the body while a person refrains from smoking cigarettes. Over time, the amount of nicotine is lowered.

This gradual method helps to reduce the withdrawal symptoms that develop in people who are quitting smoking while slowly decreasing the amount of nicotine they get over time.

Some possible NRTs include:

• Nasal sprays

Each person will choose the right amount of nicotine they need in their NRT based on a conversation about how much they smoke per day. By getting the proper level of nicotine in the body through NRTs, successfully quitting can be more manageable.

Quitting While Pregnant

Smoking while pregnant can severely harm a developing fetus, so it’s vital to quit as soon as possible after finding out you are pregnant. The best way to quit smoking during pregnancy is by using NRTs or e-cigarettes, as they have been rated safe to use. However, you should speak to your healthcare provider when quitting smoking to discuss what would be best for you based on your current level of health, how much you smoke, and where you are in your pregnancy. If other members of your household smoke, they should also quit.  

Quit Smoking Apps

Many people turn to quit-smoking apps to help them get over their cravings. Many apps will offer different information and support to stay on track, such as:

• How your health has changed while you're quitting
• How much money you're saving by not purchasing cigarettes
• Daily rewards

The research regarding the success of these apps is limited and mixed. That said, many people can see success if they adhere to the app and stay strong during the process.

Can You Quit Tobacco Quickly?

Quitting tobacco can be a difficult journey because of withdrawal symptoms and the fact that people have to change a large part of their lifestyle to suit their new non-smoking ways. Because of this, it may be challenging to quit quickly.

That said, specific methods of quitting smoking, such as cold turkey, are effective at ridding the body of nicotine fast. Even if you do happen to quit smoking quickly, you will likely still experience withdrawal symptoms for two to four weeks after your last cigarette.

Quitting Cannabis and Cannabis Withdrawals

Unlike nicotine and tobacco, cannabis does not have a high rate of addiction. Those who smoke cannabis have a 10% chance of becoming addicted. This makes it easier to quit than cigarettes. That said, there are still some withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting cannabis, such as:

• Sleep disturbances, having difficulty falling asleep, or feeling fatigued throughout the day
• Decrease in appetite
• Increased feelings of anxiety, anger, or aggression
• Cravings for cannabis
• Abdominal pain
• Tremors or shaking
• Fever or chills

How to Get Through Nicotine Withdrawals

Dealing with nicotine withdrawals can make a person feel as though they are losing their mind. The mental and physical symptoms of withdrawal can be challenging to cope with, even if you’re aware that it’s simply the nicotine leaving your body.

To cope with these withdrawals, you can:

• Avoid certain situations or activities that trigger you to smoke
• Find a substitute for smoking, such as chewing gum, vegetables, or hard candy to keep your mouth busy
• Deep breathing exercises while cravings are strong
• Reminding yourself that the feelings will pass
• Take a walk or engage in other physical activities you enjoy
• Reduce caffeine and sugar intake
• Meditate or practice mindfulness
• Develop stress and relaxation techniques to self-soothe when dealing with the mental aspects of withdrawal
• Seek out support from friends, family, or a support group

Knowing and Avoiding Triggers

When quitting smoking, you’re making a good decision for your future. But there will be triggers that may prompt you to smoke in everyday life. The first thing to do to manage those is to get to know what they are and avoid them. You can do this by assessing the emotional feelings that drive you to smoke, figuring out how to cope with them differently, and avoiding triggers, such as other smokers, as best you can. SmokeFree.Gov suggests:

• Finding a replacement activity
• Keeping your hands or mouth busy
• Getting out to exercise
• Changing your routine
• Talking about emotions you’re feeling with a trusted confidante
• Listening to calming music
• Practicing deep breathing

Reminders If You Relapse

Since quitting smoking is so hard, it’s normal to have a relapse . In fact, it can take anywhere from eight to 10 attempts to succeed.

So, if you do relapse, it’s important to go easy on yourself and give yourself some grace. Quitting smoking is the hardest thing that many people will have to do in their lifetime, and knowing that can make a relapse much easier to deal with.

Other ways to approach another attempt after a relapse include:

• Staying positive: Every time you try to quit smoking, you’ll be a little closer to becoming a person who doesn’t smoke. Don’t let negativity weigh you down, and think positively about your next attempt.
• Learn from any mistakes: Pay attention to what drove the relapse and then work on eliminating that trigger the next time you try to quit.
• Set a new plan of action: Even if you relapsed, you don’t have to accept defeat. Set a new action plan in motion and stick to it again.
• Regroup: If you tried cold turkey and relapsed, maybe on the next attempt, you could try a new approach, such as using NRTs. There is no harm in getting help.

There are many things you can do instead of smoking while going through withdrawals and dealing with cravings. They can include:

• Chewing gum
• Sucking on hard candy, suckers, or straws
• Keeping fresh, low-calorie vegetables on hand, such as carrots or celery, to chew on when you have a craving
• Calling a friend to help combat a craving
• Squeezing a handball
• Beading or needlework
• Deep breathing exercises
• Talking to someone about how you’re feeling
• Taking a shower or bath
• Telling yourself no out loud when you feel close to giving in to a craving
• Practicing affirmations about how much better your health will be once you quit
• Wearing a rubber band around your wrist and smacking it when you’re up against an intense craving

Choosing the Right Way to Quit

There is no right or wrong way to quit as long as you succeed eventually. The critical thing to remember is that although quitting smoking is challenging, you can do it with the right help and support in place.

Resources to Support Those Working to Quit Smoking

There are many resources you can turn to if you want to quit smoking. They include:

• American Cancer Society Quit for Life
• American Lung Association Lung Helpline & Tobacco Quitline
• National Cancer Institute Smokefree.gov
• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Be Tobacco Free
• American Lung Association Freedom from Smoking
• Nicotine Anonymous

These resources are available to people who need support when trying to quit, whether it be someone to talk to when going through a terrible period of cravings and withdrawal to meetings and community support.

Nicotine Anonymous has meetings all over the country that could help connect you with other people who are quitting smoking as a way to push you toward success.  

Quitting smoking is one of the hardest things you will ever have to do, and if you've tried to quit before, you already know that. While the physical addiction is challenging in and of itself, the mental habit can be just as hard to break because of how used to smoking you may be in specific situations.

While quitting is difficult, dealing with the consequences of long-term smoking is something that no one wants to have to face. That's why it's vital to stop, even if it takes 100 tries. The more you try to quit, the closer you will be to becoming a person who used to smoke.

If you need help, contact your healthcare provider and support resources. With the right mindset, know-how, and support team, you can do anything, including quitting smoking.

USCF Health. Nicotine dependence .

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking.

Wang YY, Liu Z, Wu Y, Zhang O, Chen M, Huang LL, He XQ, Wu GY, Yang JS. Acupuncture for smoking cessation in Hong Kong: A prospective multicenter observational study . Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2016;2016:2865831. doi:10.1155/2016/2865831

Weleff J, Dore S, Anand A, Barnett BS. Black pepper  (Piper nigrum)  for tobacco withdrawal: A case report . Case Rep Psychiatry. 2022 Dec 9;2022:5908769. doi:10.1155/2022/5908769

Nisaa, Z. Zafar, A. Zafar, F. Efficacy of a smoking cessation intervention using the natural agents . Int Journ Collab Res Intern Med Pub Health. 2018;10(2):809-815.

Jackson S, Brown J, Norris E, Livingstone-Banks J, Hayes E, Lindson N. Mindfulness for smoking cessation . Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022 Apr 14;4(4):CD013696. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD013696.pub2

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. What it's like to quit smoking .

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How quit smoking medicines work .

Martins RS, Junaid MU, Khan MS, Aziz N, Fazal ZZ, Umoodi M, Shah F, Khan JA. Factors motivating smoking cessation: A cross-sectional study in a lower-middle-income country . BMC Public Health. 2021 Jul 18;21(1):1419. doi:10.1186/s12889-021-11477-2

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 7 common withdrawal symptoms and what you can do about them .

Lourmière G, Lacroix A, Girard M, Nubukpo P. Comparison of withdrawal symptom intensity between hypnosis and nicotine-replacement-therapies: A pilot study . Am J Clin Hypn. 2022 Jan;64(3):263-276. doi:10.1080/00029157.2021.1877105

Lancaster T, Stead LF. Individual behavioural counselling for smoking cessation . Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017 Mar 31;3(3):CD001292. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD001292.pub3

UK National Health Service. Stop smoking in pregnancy .

Regmi K, Kassim N, Ahmad N, Tuah NA.  Effectiveness of mobile apps for smoking cessation: A review .  Tob Prev Cessat . 2017;3:12. Published 2017 Apr 12. doi:10.18332/tpc/7008

Better Health. What to expect when you quit smoking.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Addiction (marijuana or cannabis use disorder) .

Bonnet U, Preuss UW. The cannabis withdrawal syndrome: Current insights . Subst Abuse Rehabil. 2017 Apr 27;8:9-37. doi:10.2147/SAR.S109576

NIH National Cancer Institute. Handling nicotine withdrawal and triggers when you decide to quit tobacco .

SmokeFree.Gov. Know your triggers .

Chaiton M, Diemert L, Cohen JE, Bondy SJ, Selby P, Philipneri A, Schwartz R. Estimating the number of quit attempts it takes to quit smoking successfully in a longitudinal cohort of smokers. BMJ Open. 2016 Jun 9;6(6):e011045. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011045

NHS Inform. Stopping Smoking After a Relapse.

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SmokeFree.Gov. Fight cravings .

By Angelica Bottaro Bottaro has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and an Advanced Diploma in Journalism. She is based in Canada.

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• Quit Smoking

Prepare to Quit

Quitting is hard. But quitting can be a bit easier if you have a plan. When you think you’re ready to quit, here are a few simple steps you can take to put your plan into action.

Commit to Your Quit

Set Your Quit Date . The first step to becoming smokefree is to choose when you want to quit. Here are some tips to help you pick a quit date:

• Give yourself time to prepare. Getting prepared can help you build the confidence and skills you will need to stay smokefree.
• Don’t put it off for too long. Picking a date too far away gives you time to change your mind or become less motivated. Choose a date that is no more than a week or two away.

If you’re having a hard time setting a date, sign up for our Practice Quit text program to learn skills and become more comfortable with quitting for good. Practice quitting for 1, 3, or 5 days, and try the program as many times as you need.

Create Your Quit Plan. A personalized quit plan can help you stay focused, confident, and motivated to quit. Don’t worry if you’ve already started your quit, because making a plan now can help you stay on track. 

Know Why You’re Quitting

Before you actually quit, it’s important to know why you’re doing it. Do you want to be healthier? Save money? Keep your family safe? If you’re not sure, ask yourself these questions:

• What do I dislike about smoking?
• What do I miss out on when I smoke?
• How is smoking affecting my health?
• What will happen to me and my family if I keep smoking?
• How will my life get better when I quit?

Still not sure? Different people have different reasons for quitting smoking. Get ready to stop smoking by thinking about  why you want to quit .

Learn How to Handle Your Triggers and Cravings

Triggers are specific persons, places, or activities that make you feel like smoking. Knowing your smoking triggers can help you learn to deal with them.

Cravings are intense urges to smoke. Every craving is temporary, and having healthy ways to distract can help them fade more quickly. Plan ahead and come up with a list of activities you can do when you  get a craving .

Find Ways to Handle Nicotine Withdrawal

During the first few weeks after you quit, you may feel uncomfortable and crave a cigarette. These unpleasant symptoms of quitting smoking are known as  withdrawal . Withdrawal is common among smokers who quit, whether they are doing it cold turkey or with the help of medications, counseling, or other tools.

During withdrawal, your body is getting used to not having nicotine from cigarettes. For most people, the worst symptoms of withdrawal last a few days to a few weeks. During this time, you may:

• Feel a little depressed
• Be unable to sleep
• Become cranky, frustrated, or mad
• Feel anxious, nervous, or restless
• Have trouble thinking clearly

You may be tempted to smoke to relieve these feelings. Just remember that they are temporary, no matter how powerful they feel at the time.

One of the best ways to deal with nicotine withdrawal is to try nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). NRT can reduce withdrawal symptoms. And NRT can double your chances of quitting smoking for good. NRT comes in several different forms, including gum, patch, nasal spray, inhaler, and lozenge. Many are available without a prescription.

A lot of research has been done on NRT. It has been shown to be safe and effective for almost all smokers who want to quit. But teens, pregnant women, and people with severe medical conditions should talk to their doctor before using NRT.

If you plan to use NRT, remember to have it available on your quit day. Read the instructions on the NRT package and follow them carefully. NRT will give you the most benefit if you use it as recommended.

Explore Your Quit Smoking Options

It is difficult to quit smoking on your own, but quitting cold turkey is not your only choice. In fact, choosing another option may improve your chances of success. Check out:

• Try a text message program. Sign up for SmokefreeTXT online or text QUIT to 47848 .
• Download a smartphone app . Our free apps help you track cravings and understand your smoking patterns.
• Visit Smokefree on social media. Grow your support network and stay connected.
• Talk to an expert at a quitline. Call the National Cancer Institute Quitline at 1-877-44U-QUIT ( 1-877-448-7848 1-877-448-7848 ) Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. or find your state’s quitline by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW ( 1-800-784-8669 1-800-784-8669 ).
• Chat with a quit smoking counselor. LiveHelp is Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern time. Also available in Spanish .

Find a quit method that might be right for you.

Tell Your Family and Friends You Plan to Quit

Quitting smoking is easier when the people in your life support you. Let them know you are planning to quit and explain how they can help. Here are a few tips:

• Tell your family and friends your reasons for quitting.
• Ask them to check in with you to see how things are going.
• Ask them to help you think of smokefree activities you can do together (like going to the movies or a nice restaurant).
• Ask a friend or family member who smokes to quit with you, or at least not smoke around you.
• Ask your friends and family not to give you a cigarette—no matter what you say or do.
• Alert your friends and family that you may be in a bad mood while quitting. Ask them to be patient and help you through it.

Support is one of the keys to successfully quitting. Find more ways to get support to help you quit.

Like anything hard, quitting smoking takes practice. Get help practicing your quit smoking skills with our Practice Quit text messaging program.

Fact: When used as directed, the nicotine patch can double your chances of quitting successfully.

Find out how much you depend on nicotine to help you as you choose a way to quit smoking.

Fact: Research suggests laughing encourages people to think more creatively. Plus it boosts your mood!

Steps to Manage Quit Day

Managing Nicotine Withdrawal

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• Quit smoking

Quitting smoking: 10 ways to resist tobacco cravings

Tobacco cravings can wear you down when you're trying to quit. Use these tips to reduce and resist cravings.

For most people who use tobacco, tobacco cravings or smoking urges can be strong. But you can stand up against these cravings.

When you feel an urge to use tobacco, keep in mind that even though the urge may be strong, it will likely pass within 5 to 10 minutes whether or not you smoke a cigarette or take a dip of chewing tobacco. Each time you resist a tobacco craving, you're one step closer to stopping tobacco use for good.

Here are 10 ways to help you resist the urge to smoke or use tobacco when a craving strikes.

1. Try nicotine replacement therapy

Ask your health care provider about nicotine replacement therapy. The options include:

• Prescription nicotine in a nasal spray or inhaler
• Nicotine patches, gum and lozenges you can buy without a prescription
• Prescription non-nicotine stop-smoking drugs such as bupropion (Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL, others) and varenicline

Short-acting nicotine replacement therapies — such as nicotine gum, lozenges, nasal sprays or inhalers — can help you overcome intense cravings. These short-acting therapies are usually safe to use along with long-acting nicotine patches or one of the non-nicotine stop-smoking drugs.

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have had a lot of interest recently as a replacement for smoking traditional cigarettes. But e-cigarettes haven't proved to be safer or more effective than nicotine-replacement medications in helping people stop smoking.

2. Avoid triggers

Tobacco urges are likely to be strongest in the places where you smoked or chewed tobacco most often, such as at parties or bars, or at times when you were feeling stressed or sipping coffee. Find out your triggers and have a plan in place to avoid them or get through them without using tobacco.

Don't set yourself up for a smoking relapse. If you usually smoked while you talked on the phone, for instance, keep a pen and paper nearby to keep busy with doodling rather than smoking.

If you feel like you're going to give in to your tobacco craving, tell yourself that you must first wait 10 more minutes. Then do something to distract yourself during that time. Try going to a public smoke-free zone. These simple tricks may be enough to move you past your tobacco craving.

4. Chew on it

Give your mouth something to do to resist a tobacco craving. Chew on sugarless gum or hard candy. Or munch on raw carrots, nuts or sunflower seeds — something crunchy and tasty.

5. Don't have 'just one'

You might be tempted to have just one cigarette to satisfy a tobacco craving. But don't fool yourself into thinking that you can stop there. More often than not, having just one leads to one more. And you may end up using tobacco again.

6. Get physical

Physical activity can help distract you from tobacco cravings. Even short bursts of activity — such as running up and down the stairs a few times — can make a tobacco craving go away. Get out for a walk or jog.

If you're at home or in the office, try squats, deep knee bends, pushups, running in place, or walking up and down a set of stairs. If you don't like physical activity, try prayer, sewing, woodwork or writing in a journal. Or do chores for distraction, such as cleaning or filing papers.

7. Try relaxation techniques

Smoking may have been your way to deal with stress. Fighting back against a tobacco craving can itself be stressful. Take the edge off stress by trying ways to relax, such as deep breathing, muscle relaxation, yoga, visualization, massage or listening to calming music.

8. Call for reinforcements

Connect with a family member, friend or support group member for help in your effort to resist a tobacco craving. Chat on the phone, go for a walk, share a few laughs, or meet to talk and support each other. Counseling can be helpful too. A free telephone quit line — 800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669) — provides support and counseling.

9. Go online for support

Join an online stop-smoking program. Or read a quitter's blog and post encouraging thoughts for someone else who might be dealing with tobacco cravings. Learn from how others have handled their tobacco cravings.

10. Remind yourself of the benefits

Write down or say out loud why you want to stop smoking and resist tobacco cravings. These reasons might include:

• Feeling better
• Getting healthier
• Sparing your loved ones from secondhand smoke
• Saving money

Keep in mind that trying something to beat the urge to use tobacco is always better than doing nothing. And each time you resist a tobacco craving, you're one step closer to being tobacco-free.

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• Rigotti NA. Overview of smoking cessation management in adults. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed March 23, 2022.
• How to manage cravings. Smokefree.gov. https://smokefree.gov/challenges-when-quitting/cravings-triggers/how-manage-cravings. Accessed March 23, 2022.
• Know your triggers. Smokefree.gov. https://smokefree.gov/challenges-when-quitting/cravings-triggers/know-your-triggers. Accessed March 23, 2022.
• AskMayoExpert. Tobacco use (adult). Mayo Clinic; 2021.
• Broaddus, VC. Smoking cessation. In: Murray & Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. Elsevier; 2022. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed March 23, 2022.
• Rigotti NA. Pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation in adults. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed March 23, 2022.
• Park ER. Behavioral approaches to smoking cessation. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed March 23, 2022.
• Making your plan to quit and planning your quit day. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/healthy/stay-away-from-tobacco/guide-quitting-smoking/deciding-to-quit-smoking-and-making-a-plan.html. Accessed March 23, 2022.
• US Preventive Services Task Force. Interventions for tobacco smoking cessation in adults, including pregnant persons: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2021; doi:10.1001/jama.2020.25019.

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Reddit bursts with discussions over the teachers using gpt-4’s vision to grade assignments, 7 easy steps to quit smoking essay sample, example.

Scary pictures printed on cigarette packs, PSAs, and suasion will not help you quit. Due to them, instead of smoking with pleasure, you smoke being irritated, or scared, with all that informational ado. The same refers to weird recipes, such as soaking cigarettes in milk. All you need in order to quit is your intent to do it and your personal will.

1. At first, make a final decision to quit. Do not just fall for others’ exhortations; do not persuade yourself that you have to quit smoking as soon as possible. You do not have to do anything. Give your decision some time to ripen and make it when you understand that you actually want to quit. This part of the process is the most important.

2. To help yourself, develop motivation. Start reading stories of people who managed to quit for keeps; count how much money smoking costs you per month, or per year; study statistics of deaths caused by smoking; find some information about its impact on the human body. For example, you can think that quitting your habit will help you live longer, look better, spend less money, get rid of the fear of cancer, emphysema, heart attacks, etc.

3. When you are done with steps 1 and 2, do not rush to throw away your cigarettes. Instead, observe situations when you usually smoke. You think about cigarettes in a number of typical situations: in the morning, after taking food, when stressed or bored, while waiting, before going to bed, and so on. If you are warned about “risky” situations, it will be easier for you to control your habit.

4. When you are finally ready, assign a day when you are going to smoke your last cigarette. Do not wait for this date with despair or fear of terrible trials coming; do not delay. Instead, think of this day as the date of your release. Also, it is useful to make preparations. Find someone who also wants to quit smoking; tell your friends and relatives about your intentions and ask for help. You will need them if hard times come. Then smoke your last cigarette.

5. Smoking is much more about psychological addiction than physical addiction, so make a list of activities that would help distract you from thoughts about cigarettes when they appear. For instance, you can delve deeper into your job or hobbies, go jogging, ride a bike, go to a concert, or perform any other healthy activity. Do not think you are “trying to quit”—this will make the process never ending. Instead, persuade yourself you have already done that. It is also important to remember that searching for substitutes is not a sound idea—why quit one bad habit if you change it to another? Among the most popular substitutes are food, alcohol, and nicotine chewing gum.

6. Start a physical exercise routine. This will help you feel you have moved on to a new life. Besides, this will prevent, or at least minimize, the jump in weight that often follows quitting. One of the easiest alternatives is to buy a gym membership because free activities, such as jogging, will require additional willpower.

7. It is likely you will experience a temptation to check if you have quit, to test your willpower. Usually, a person decides to see if everything worked out, smokes a cigarette, thinking that the habit is broken and that there is nothing to worry about—and returns to it again. Remember, that there is no such thing as “one last cigarette just to make sure.”

It is easier to say than to do. Still, quitting is an act worth doing. It will have a significant, positive impact not only on your health, but also on your self-respect, faith in yourself, and your ability to succeed in many more facets of life.

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Process Essay: How to Quit Smoking

All those anti-smoking campaigns seem to be working since the prevalence of smoking has been declining for a while now. But, the actual number of smokers is not declining whatsoever. On the opposite, people seem to be smoking less, but the number of smokers continues to increase.

According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, smoking prevalence decreased by 25% for men and 42% for women by 2012. However, the actual number of smokers increased by 41% in the period between 1980 and 2012.

Smoking is a terrible habit indeed, and everyone will tell you the same. Even those who once got rid of this scourge succumb to the temptation and return to smoking again. Because of this, many smokers wonder if it is possible to quick smoking forever and not return to it a short while afterward.

Those anti-smoking campaigns won’t really help you quit. All the scary pictures on the packs and lessons can do is inform people of the harm cigarettes can do to their bodies and health. If you want to quit smoking, you need to do it with your personal will and intent.

The first thing you need to do to stop smoking is to decide to stop smoking. People who keep persuading you to quit smoking cannot convince you unless you want it to, and attempting to do so for the exhortations of others will probably not be long-lasting or successful. I have found that the most important factor in quitting this habit is your will. If those ugly pictures on the billboards and the cigarette packs haven’t convinced you yet, get more informed about the harms of smoking.

Secondly, you need to start talking to people who managed to do this. Reading and listening to such stories will give you an idea as to what expects you and help you create a plan. When you calculate how much this terrible habit costs you in a year, you will surely be more inclined to stop smoking. Cigarettes get more and more expensive almost every year. When you find a reason why you need to quit smoking, you can start working on the strategy. Whether it is to preserve your health and avoid problems like heart attacks or to save some money, every reason is a reason good enough. Being certain that you want to quit will give you the motivation you need and you can start throwing away the cigarettes.

Of course, if you are smoking for a long time or smoke too many cigarettes a day, you shouldn’t quit right away. Quitting over a certain period of time is much easier for your body and your mind, especially if you are smoking when you are bored or stressed. A single cigarette with the morning cup of coffee does not mean that you are not quitting. Just calculate the steps and set a deadline. Reduce the number of cigarettes you are smoking throughout this period.

Assign the last day and the last cigarette. This is the day when you will stop being a smoker, but until that day, you will be working toward it. Some people say that quitting with someone else is much easier because you and the other person can motivate each other and not let ourselves slip. When that day comes, smoke the last cigarette. Make sure this cigarette is the very last you will ever smoke.

This all sounds so simple, but it is not. Smoking is much more of a psychological than a physical addiction, making it harder to get rid of. In order to quit smoking, you don’t only have to decide and buy nicotine patches. You need to find out what makes you smoke and do things to distract you from it. Even when you quit smoking, your job does not end here. For a very long time, you will have moments when you will feel the urge to smoke ‘just one cigarette’. If you allow yourself to do this, you will become a smoker again. Avoid things that make you want to smoke and if you cannot, find a hobby or make a habit that will distract you from these things when the time comes. When you feel like you really need a smoke, go running, go to a concert, ride your bike, take a walk with your dog, or do anything else that will keep you distracted. You may think that one more cigarette is all that you need, but this will rapidly turn into a renewed smoking habit.

A physical, healthy routine can go a long way. If you start exercising regularly, you will literally turn the pages in your life. Not only will this distract you from smoking, but it will also come with a variety of health benefits and may just be what keeps you healthy after all those years of smoking. Don’t let your willpower be tested. It is easier to say ‘I will quit’ than actually quit, but once you do it, be strong enough not to get back to it. A bit of faith in yourself and some good distraction tricks is what keeps non-smokers from going back to this terrible habit.

Smoking is an unhealthy behavior that accounts for almost 40% of all deaths in the US. It is also very expensive and very dangerous to your health, so quitting smoking is simply the natural and logical thing to do. It isn’t easy, but many have done it. If they can, you can do it too.

References:

[1] http://www.healthdata.org/news-release/despite-declines-smoking-rates-number-smokers-and-cigarettes-rises

[2] A.H. Mokdad, J.S. Marks, J.S. Stroup, J.L. GeberdingActual causes of death on the United States, 2000 JAMA, 291 (2004), pp. 1238-1245

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Follow These Tips to Quit Smoking and Start Getting Healthy

• Wellness & Prevention

This article was reviewed by our Baystate Health team to ensure medical accuracy.

It’s never too late to stop smoking, no matter what your age is.

“It’s hard to quit smoking because nicotine is so addictive, with most people needing several attempts before successfully stopping smoking,” said Dr. Douglas Johnson  of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine  at Baystate Medical Center .

Baystate experts explain the benefits of stopping smoking and how to develop a successful quit plan.

Smoking Causes Lung Cancer and Other Illnesses

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable, premature death and illness in the U.S., responsible for almost a half-million deaths each year .

“For perspective, over the past two years, smoking has killed more people in the United States (~1 million) than coronavirus (~750,000 as of November 2021). The COVID pandemic has also led to more smoking (not less) in the past 2 years, reversing a 50 year downward trend,” Dr. Quinn Pack , a preventive cardiologist in the Heart & Vascular Program  at Baystate Medical Center.

Although the rates of smoking have declined in recent years for all age groups, nearly 14% of adults in the United States continue to smoke . In Massachusetts, this number is closer to 12%.

Just about everyone should know by now that smoking is a major cause of lung cancer. But what some don’t realize is that smoking is also a major cause of heart disease.

According to Dr. Johnson, many of the patients he sees as a pulmonary physician have lung problems directly caused by smoking.

“Patients may be very short of breath with COPD, need oxygen, be on a ventilator, or have lung cancer. Other patients have heart disease, including heart attacks due to their smoking. These problems can ruin people’s lives while they are still living, knock decades off a life, and be tragic for one’s family. Quitting smoking is usually the best thing one can do to improve your health,” Dr. Johnson said.

The Negative Impact Smoking Has on Your Overall Health

“Smoking can result in all kinds of health problems, such as blood clots in the lungs or legs. Inhaled smoke doesn’t just travel into your lungs, but throughout your entire body. So, it’s a big misconception that smoking is only about lung cancer,” said Dr. Pack said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking can:

• Raise triglycerides (a type of fat in your blood)
• Lower "good" cholesterol (HDL)
• Make blood sticky and more likely to clot, which can block blood flow to the heart and brain
• Damage cells that line the blood vessels
• Increase the buildup of plaque (fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances) in blood vessels
• Cause thickening and narrowing of blood vessels.

The recent Surgeon General’s report, The Health Consequences of Smoking: 50 Years of Progress , provides new data that links smoking to:

• Bone disease
• Macular degeneration
• Erectile dysfunction
• Bladder, kidney, and pancreatic cancer
• Infertility (both male and female)
• Poor pregnancy outcomes

What happens when you stop smoking?

Research shows that people who quit smoking, regardless of their age, are less likely to die from smoking-related illness than those who continue to smoke.

“There is no time like the present to quit. Medical studies have shown clearly that those in their sixties and seventies benefit from quitting. So, don’t delay. Do it now and you’ll be glad you did,” said Dr. Pack.

Health benefits of quitting smoking

The good news is that when you put your last cigarette down, the benefits begin immediately.

• Within the first 20 minutes, your heart rate begins to drop back to normal levels.
• Within 12 hours after quitting, the carbon monoxide levels in your blood drop.
• 24 hours after quitting your risk of heart attack decreases.
• After a couple of weeks your lung functions will improve.
• In 1-9 months, coughing and shortness of breath decreases, cilla start to regain normal functioning in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.
• In one year, the excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of someone who continues to smoke, and your heart attack risk drops dramatically.

What are smoking withdrawal symptoms?

When you stop smoking, make sure you’re prepared to handle nicotine withdrawal symptoms .

These could include:

• Cravings: The more your resist the urge to smoke, the easier it will become over time.
• Mood swings: Make sure you acknowledge your feelings and know they’ll pass. You may want to invest in your mental health and learn to manage stress .
• Restlessness: This is normal. Make sure to reduce your caffeine intake so you don’t accidentally make the issue worse.
• Weight gain: Quitting may increase your appetite. Develop a meal plan and stick with it .

Other symptoms like cold symptoms or dizziness are less common.

FIRST STEP IN QUITTING: DECIDE YOU WANT TO QUIT

“Some quit ‘cold turkey’, but because nicotine is so addictive, many find that nicotine supplements such as the patch or gum, or medications such as Chantix, help them to quit. It can be harder to quit if someone else in your house smokes, so I encourage everyone in the house to try quitting together,” said Dr. Johnson.

Quitting smoking will not only improve your health, but will protect family members and others around you from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke .

“Secondhand smoke is especially dangerous for pregnant women, babies and children,” said Dr. Johnson. “It can contribute to a number of afflictions from cancer and heart disease to breathing problems and even make it harder for someone to have a baby.”

Second step: Come up with a quit plan

Consider joining a virtual movement, the Great American Smokeout . The American Cancer Society provides resources and programing, so you don’t have to do this on your own.

“Prepare today for tomorrow’s Great American Smokeout quit day by making a survival kit consisting of celery and carrot sticks to munch on and take the place of a cigarette, as well as hard candy and gum,” said Donna Hawk, RRT, AE-C, pulmonary rehab clinician at Baystate Medical Center.

“If you can’t quit on the Smokeout date for some reason, choose another day, perhaps one that has special meaning for you like your birthday or wedding anniversary, and stick with it,” said Dr. Pack. “The Smokeout is a great day to quit, but even just going 1 day without a cigarette is still an accomplishment!”

Strategies to include in your plan

Hawk offers the following additional tips to help you stop smoking:

• Throw away all cigarettes right now, along with ashtrays, lighters and matches.
• Make a list of your reasons for quitting. Keep it with you and read it when you are tempted to light up.
• Limit alcohol consumption and your sugar intake. “This is a big deal. I recommend no alcohol for at least 1 month after a quit attempt,” Dr. Pack said.
• Talk with any smokers in your home. Make a “indoor smoke-free” policy to assure that any smoking that occurs among household members is done outside, regardless of the weather.
• Choose one place not to smoke where you do now, for example, your automobile.
• If cigarettes give you an energy boost, try modest exercise like a brisk walk. Exercise is also useful for fighting cravings.

“Also, talk with your doctor and get some help. There are nicotine patches, nicotine gum, and various drugs and medications. If used correctly, these can double, triple or even quadruple your success rate in quitting,” added Dr. Pack.

Use the 4 Ds when you feel the urge to smoke

Hawk said when you feel the need for a cigarette, remember the 4 Ds:

• Delay: Wait it out and after 5-6 minutes the urge usually fades away.
• Deep Breath: Take 3 deep breaths. Hold the last one in for a few seconds and exhale slowly. This will relax you and also use the muscles normally used for inhaling.
• Drink Water: Unless on a fluid restriction, drink plenty of water or fruit juice to help the nicotine leave your body.
• Do Something Else: Keep occupied by doing crossword puzzles, reading a book, crocheting or knitting, writing letters, playing cards or doodling.

Never say “I quit smoking” because your resolve is broken if you have a cigarette. Better to say “I choose not to smoke.” This way you maintain your resolution even if you accidentally have a cigarette.

Where Can You Get Help to Stop Smoking?

For additional support in stopping smoking, call the American Lung Association’s Lung HelpLine at 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872).

There is also a translation service offering 200 different languages and TTY for hearing impaired at 1-800-501-1068.

You can also call 1-800-QUIT-NOW for help. The toll-free number is operated by the National Cancer Institute and will connect you directly to your state’s tobacco quitline. State quitlines provide a variety of services, including brief advice about quitting, individual counseling, information on cessation medications (which can help callers decide whether to use cessation medications in their quit attempt and which medications to use, as well as helping them understand how to use these medications correctly), free or discounted medications, self-help materials, and referrals to other cessation resources.

“I also strongly recommend smokefree.gov . It is paid for by cigarette taxes, is completely free to users, and has a text messaging program that can be very effective,” Dr. Pack said.

The Smokefree Text Messaging Program is SFTXT .

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Persuasive Essay Guide

Persuasive Essay About Smoking

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Are you wondering how to write your next persuasive essay about smoking?

Smoking has been one of the most controversial topics in our society for years. It is associated with many health risks and can be seen as a danger to both individuals and communities.

Writing an effective persuasive essay about smoking can help sway public opinion. It can also encourage people to make healthier choices and stop smoking. 

But where do you begin?

In this blog, we’ll provide some examples to get you started. So read on to get inspired!

• 1. What You Need To Know About Persuasive Essay
• 2. Persuasive Essay Examples About Smoking
• 3. Argumentative Essay About Smoking Examples
• 4. Tips for Writing a Persuasive Essay About Smoking

What You Need To Know About Persuasive Essay

A persuasive essay is a type of writing that aims to convince its readers to take a certain stance or action. It often uses logical arguments and evidence to back up its argument in order to persuade readers.

It also utilizes rhetorical techniques such as ethos, pathos, and logos to make the argument more convincing. In other words, persuasive essays use facts and evidence as well as emotion to make their points.

A persuasive essay about smoking would use these techniques to convince its readers about any point about smoking. Check out an example below:

Simple persuasive essay about smoking

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Persuasive Essay Examples About Smoking

Smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the world. It leads to adverse health effects, including lung cancer, heart disease, and damage to the respiratory tract. However, the number of people who smoke cigarettes has been on the rise globally.

A lot has been written on topics related to the effects of smoking. Reading essays about it can help you get an idea of what makes a good persuasive essay.

Here are some sample persuasive essays about smoking that you can use as inspiration for your own writing:

Persuasive speech on smoking outline

Persuasive essay about smoking should be banned

Persuasive essay about smoking pdf

Persuasive essay about smoking cannot relieve stress

Persuasive essay about smoking in public places

Speech about smoking is dangerous

Persuasive Essay About Smoking Introduction

Persuasive Essay About Stop Smoking

Short Persuasive Essay About Smoking

Stop Smoking Persuasive Speech

Check out some more persuasive essay examples on various other topics.

Argumentative Essay About Smoking Examples

An argumentative essay is a type of essay that uses facts and logical arguments to back up a point. It is similar to a persuasive essay but differs in that it utilizes more evidence than emotion.

If you’re looking to write an argumentative essay about smoking, here are some examples to get you started on the arguments of why you should not smoke.

Argumentative essay about smoking pdf

Argumentative essay about smoking in public places

Argumentative essay about smoking introduction

Check out the video below to find useful arguments against smoking:

Tips for Writing a Persuasive Essay About Smoking

You have read some examples of persuasive and argumentative essays about smoking. Now here are some tips that will help you craft a powerful essay on this topic.

Choose a Specific Angle

Select a particular perspective on the issue that you can use to form your argument. When talking about smoking, you can focus on any aspect such as the health risks, economic costs, or environmental impact.

Think about how you want to approach the topic. For instance, you could write about why smoking should be banned. 

Check out the list of persuasive essay topics to help you while you are thinking of an angle to choose!

Research the Facts

Before writing your essay, make sure to research the facts about smoking. This will give you reliable information to use in your arguments and evidence for why people should avoid smoking.

You can find and use credible data and information from reputable sources such as government websites, health organizations, and scientific studies. 

For instance, you should gather facts about health issues and negative effects of tobacco if arguing against smoking. Moreover, you should use and cite sources carefully.

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Make an Outline

The next step is to create an outline for your essay. This will help you organize your thoughts and make sure that all the points in your essay flow together logically.

Your outline should include the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. This will help ensure that your essay has a clear structure and argument.

Use Persuasive Language

When writing your essay, make sure to use persuasive language such as “it is necessary” or “people must be aware”. This will help you convey your message more effectively and emphasize the importance of your point.

Also, don’t forget to use rhetorical devices such as ethos, pathos, and logos to make your arguments more convincing. That is, you should incorporate emotion, personal experience, and logic into your arguments.

Introduce Opposing Arguments

Another important tip when writing a persuasive essay on smoking is to introduce opposing arguments. It will show that you are aware of the counterarguments and can provide evidence to refute them. This will help you strengthen your argument.

By doing this, your essay will come off as more balanced and objective, making it more convincing.

Finish Strong

Finally, make sure to finish your essay with a powerful conclusion. This will help you leave a lasting impression on your readers and reinforce the main points of your argument. You can end by summarizing the key points or giving some advice to the reader.

A powerful conclusion could either include food for thought or a call to action. So be sure to use persuasive language and make your conclusion strong.

To conclude,

By following these tips, you can write an effective and persuasive essay on smoking. Remember to research the facts, make an outline, and use persuasive language.

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Keep reading

Essay on Stop Smoking

Students are often asked to write an essay on Stop Smoking in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Stop Smoking

Introduction.

Smoking is a dangerous habit that harms our health and environment. It’s crucial to stop smoking for a better life and future.

The Dangers of Smoking

Smoking causes diseases like cancer and heart problems. It also harms others through secondhand smoke.

Ways to Quit

You can stop smoking by seeking help from doctors, using nicotine patches, or joining support groups.

Benefits of Quitting

Quitting smoking improves health, saves money, and protects loved ones from secondhand smoke.

Stopping smoking is challenging but vital. Let’s strive for a smoke-free world for a healthier future.

250 Words Essay on Stop Smoking

The detrimental effects of smoking.

Smoking is a habit that has been ingrained in numerous societies for centuries. Despite its prevalence, the deleterious effects of smoking on health are undeniable. Every puff of smoke inhaled introduces a cocktail of chemicals into the body, many of which are carcinogens. The result is a heightened risk of diseases such as lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

Smoking and Its Socioeconomic Impact

Beyond the health implications, smoking also presents significant socioeconomic challenges. The cost of tobacco products and healthcare for smoking-related illnesses can be financially crippling for individuals and families. Moreover, the loss of productivity due to illness and premature death contributes to economic stagnation.

The Power of Prevention

Prevention is the most effective strategy in combating the smoking epidemic. Educational campaigns highlighting the dangers of smoking, combined with regulations limiting tobacco advertising and sales, can significantly reduce smoking rates. Furthermore, support for quitting smoking, like counseling services and nicotine replacement therapies, should be readily accessible.

Personal Responsibility and Collective Action

Ultimately, the decision to stop smoking lies with the individual. However, societal support is crucial in facilitating this decision. Collective action can create an environment that discourages smoking and encourages healthier alternatives.

In conclusion, the negative implications of smoking necessitate immediate action. By understanding the risks, acknowledging the socioeconomic impact, promoting prevention, and encouraging personal responsibility, we can work towards a smoke-free future.

500 Words Essay on Stop Smoking

Smoking is a prevalent habit that has both individual and societal implications. Despite the widespread knowledge of its harmful effects, many individuals continue to smoke, often due to addiction or social pressure. This essay aims to explore the reasons why it is crucial to stop smoking and the benefits that can be derived from it.

The Health Hazards of Smoking

The primary reason to quit smoking revolves around health. Cigarette smoke is a toxic mix of over 7,000 chemicals, many of which are carcinogenic. Smoking is directly linked to lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, and chronic respiratory diseases. Moreover, it weakens the immune system, making smokers more susceptible to diseases. Secondhand smoke also poses severe risks, affecting non-smokers who are exposed to it.

The Economic Impact of Smoking

Smoking also has significant economic implications. The direct cost of smoking, such as the price of cigarettes, is just the tip of the iceberg. The indirect costs, including healthcare expenses and productivity loss due to smoking-related illnesses, are substantial. In the United States alone, the total economic cost of smoking is more than $300 billion a year.

Environmental Consequences

The environmental impact of smoking is often overlooked. Cigarette butts, which are non-biodegradable, are the most littered item worldwide. They contain toxins that can leach into the environment, causing soil, water, and air pollution. The production of tobacco also contributes to deforestation and loss of biodiversity.

The Social Aspect of Smoking

Smoking can also strain relationships. The smell of smoke can be off-putting to non-smokers, and the health risks associated with secondhand smoke can cause tension. Additionally, the time spent on smoking breaks can lead to social exclusion or missed opportunities.

Benefits of Quitting Smoking

Quitting smoking brings immediate and long-term benefits. Within 20 minutes of quitting, heart rate and blood pressure drop. Within a year, the risk of heart disease is halved. Over time, the risk of stroke, lung cancer, and other diseases decrease significantly. Financially, quitting smoking can save individuals thousands of dollars annually. Environmentally, quitting reduces pollution and waste. Socially, it can improve relationships and increase social inclusion.

In conclusion, the reasons to stop smoking are multifaceted, encompassing health, economic, environmental, and social aspects. Each cigarette smoked is a step towards disease, economic loss, environmental degradation, and social isolation. Conversely, each step towards quitting smoking is a step towards better health, financial savings, environmental preservation, and improved social relations. Therefore, it is crucial to promote smoking cessation for a healthier and more sustainable world.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on Stop Pollution
• Essay on Stop Littering
• Essay on Stop Hunting Animals

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

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Essay on Smoking

500 words essay on  smoking.

One of the most common problems we are facing in today’s world which is killing people is smoking. A lot of people pick up this habit because of stress , personal issues and more. In fact, some even begin showing it off. When someone smokes a cigarette, they not only hurt themselves but everyone around them. It has many ill-effects on the human body which we will go through in the essay on smoking.

Ill-Effects of Smoking

Tobacco can have a disastrous impact on our health. Nonetheless, people consume it daily for a long period of time till it’s too late. Nearly one billion people in the whole world smoke. It is a shocking figure as that 1 billion puts millions of people at risk along with themselves.

Cigarettes have a major impact on the lungs. Around a third of all cancer cases happen due to smoking. For instance, it can affect breathing and causes shortness of breath and coughing. Further, it also increases the risk of respiratory tract infection which ultimately reduces the quality of life.

In addition to these serious health consequences, smoking impacts the well-being of a person as well. It alters the sense of smell and taste. Further, it also reduces the ability to perform physical exercises.

It also hampers your physical appearances like giving yellow teeth and aged skin. You also get a greater risk of depression or anxiety . Smoking also affects our relationship with our family, friends and colleagues.

Most importantly, it is also an expensive habit. In other words, it entails heavy financial costs. Even though some people don’t have money to get by, they waste it on cigarettes because of their addiction.

How to Quit Smoking?

There are many ways through which one can quit smoking. The first one is preparing for the day when you will quit. It is not easy to quit a habit abruptly, so set a date to give yourself time to prepare mentally.

Further, you can also use NRTs for your nicotine dependence. They can reduce your craving and withdrawal symptoms. NRTs like skin patches, chewing gums, lozenges, nasal spray and inhalers can help greatly.

Moreover, you can also consider non-nicotine medications. They require a prescription so it is essential to talk to your doctor to get access to it. Most importantly, seek behavioural support. To tackle your dependence on nicotine, it is essential to get counselling services, self-materials or more to get through this phase.

One can also try alternative therapies if they want to try them. There is no harm in trying as long as you are determined to quit smoking. For instance, filters, smoking deterrents, e-cigarettes, acupuncture, cold laser therapy, yoga and more can work for some people.

Always remember that you cannot quit smoking instantly as it will be bad for you as well. Try cutting down on it and then slowly and steadily give it up altogether.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Conclusion of the Essay on Smoking

Thus, if anyone is a slave to cigarettes, it is essential for them to understand that it is never too late to stop smoking. With the help and a good action plan, anyone can quit it for good. Moreover, the benefits will be evident within a few days of quitting.

FAQ of Essay on Smoking

Question 1: What are the effects of smoking?

Answer 1: Smoking has major effects like cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and more. It also increases the risk for tuberculosis, certain eye diseases, and problems with the immune system .

Question 2: Why should we avoid smoking?

Answer 2: We must avoid smoking as it can lengthen your life expectancy. Moreover, by not smoking, you decrease your risk of disease which includes lung cancer, throat cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and more.

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Biden Delays Ban on Menthol Cigarettes

The proposal had been years in the making, in an effort to curb death rates of Black smokers targeted by Big Tobacco. In an election year, the president’s worries about support among Black voters may have influenced the postponement.

By Christina Jewett and Noah Weiland

The Biden administration said on Friday that it was delaying a decision on whether to ban menthol cigarettes, effectively quashing a proposal that has divided Black American voters and fueled million-dollar lobbying campaigns from the tobacco industry in this presidential election year.

The White House has faced considerable resistance from the cigarette companies that would lose billions of dollars if they could no longer sell menthol cigarettes. Opponents took to the airwaves to warn of a spike in cartel traffic along the border from counterfeit cigarette smuggling and of police violence targeting Black residents if a ban were in force.

Those efforts posed risks for President Biden, whose support among Black voters has at times slipped in recent months.

Some of Mr. Biden’s top health officials have said that a ban would save lives and protect against lung cancer, which is a higher risk for Black smokers, who have historically favored menthol cigarettes and are heavily targeted by tobacco companies.

“This rule has garnered historic attention, and the public comment period has yielded an immense amount of feedback, including from various elements of the civil rights and criminal justice movement,” Xavier Becerra, the health and human services secretary, said in a statement. “It’s clear that there are still more conversations to have, and that will take significantly more time.”

The decision highlighted a debate among senior federal officials over how to weigh the political and legal consequences of a ban against public health.

A White House spokeswoman declined to comment and referred to Mr. Becerra’s statement.

Mr. Becerra, the administration’s highest-ranking health official, said in an interview earlier this year that he had continued to push the White House to support the ban.

“We started to pull together all the elements of a good proposal to move on something we’ve known for decades: that menthol is killing Americans in disproportionate numbers when it comes to smoking,” he said.

“It should surprise no one that we’re continuing to push ’til the very end,” he said in the interview.

Dr. Robert Califf, the Food and Drug Administration commissioner and a supporter of the ban, told House lawmakers at a budget hearing this month that he hoped regulators would be able to issue a decision by the end of the year.

“It’s one of our top priorities, so I would sure hope so,” he said.

Dr. Califf said that as a cardiologist who had practiced for more than three decades, he had seen more people die from tobacco-related illness “than almost any physician, because I was an intensivist who dealt with the end stage of the disease.”

“From the point of view of the F.D.A. and me as an individual, given what I’ve seen in my life, we’re talking about over the next 30 years, probably 600,000 deaths that could be averted,” Dr. Califf said. Most would be Black Americans who are consumers the industry targets, he added.

The F.D.A. had previously described the effort as a “critical piece” of Mr. Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, noting that about 30 percent of all cancer deaths are caused by smoking. Studies projected that a ban could avert as many as 650,000 smoking-related deaths.

A majority of the Congressional Black Caucus supported the ban. On Friday, Derrick Johnson, the president of the N.A.A.C.P., rebuked the president, saying Mr. Biden was choosing politics over people’s lives.

“Today’s news from the Biden administration is a blow to the Black community, who continue to be unfairly targeted and unjustly killed by Big Tobacco,” Mr. Johnson said. “Let’s be clear — valuing Black lives should not be used as a pawn to get our people to the polls, but rather a platform that our leaders refuse to step down from.”

Democrats have fretted for months about Mr. Biden’s soft support among Black voters — in particular Black men. Polls have consistently shown Mr. Biden with support from a substantially smaller percentage of Black men than he had in the 2020 election, which was itself a smaller portion than Democratic presidential candidates took in prior elections.

The ban had also united an array of public health groups, including leading lung, heart, cancer and pediatric associations.

They cited years of data suggesting that menthol cigarettes, long marketed to African American smokers, make it more palatable to start smoking and more difficult to stop. Many of those groups expressed outrage on Friday about the delay, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

“The White House fell for industry rhetoric and, as a result, public health will suffer,” said Dr. Karen E. Knudsen, the chief executive of the American Cancer Society.

The F.D.A. formally proposed the ban in May 2022, saying there were 18.5 million smokers who preferred menthol brands in the United States. Researchers looking at similar moves in other nations estimated that a ban could result in nearly a quarter of menthol smokers quitting altogether.

The proposal made its way to the White House in October. Soon, official calendars were flooded with meeting requests from not only supporters of the ban but also from opponents, which included tobacco companies, convenience stores and gas station retailers. They projected that the ban would cost them billions of dollars in sales.

Reynolds American, which makes Newport menthol cigarettes, gave millions of dollars in recent years to political action funds that benefit Republican lawmakers, as well as $1 million in February to a fund supporting former President Donald J. Trump.

“We strongly believe there are more effective ways to transition adult smokers away from cigarettes permanently,” Luis Pinto, a spokesman for Reynolds, said in a statement. “We believe that providing access to potentially safer nicotine alternatives, like appropriately regulated flavored vaping products — including menthol — are critical in supporting adult smokers to migrate from combustible cigarettes.”

Altria, which makes some menthol Marlboro cigarettes, donated less than Reynolds, but also contributed to funds supporting Republican lawmakers.

Republicans in Congress have denounced the proposed ban in letters to the Biden administration, warning that it would increase trafficking of counterfeit cigarettes. Republicans also mounted a failed effort last year to keep the government from funding any work on the ban.

Opponents of the ban have sponsored prime-time commercials criticizing the ban and saying it would fuel illicit tobacco trafficking and enrich cartels. They have helped promote some Black leaders’ concerns that a ban would encourage law enforcement to target Black smokers. (The F.D.A. has said such a ban would be enforced on manufacturers.)

The Biden campaign has gone to significant lengths to bolster its support among Black voters. It road-tested a series of get-out-the-vote methods and strategies in South Carolina ahead of the state’s first-in-the-nation Democratic primary in February, and has since devoted resources and staged campaign events aimed at Black voters in key general election battleground states.

Reynolds has argued the ban would have “serious unintended consequences,” including more counterfeit cigarette use. Altria has raised the same argument and has also said that historically low and declining youth smoking rates do not justify pursuing a ban.

Convenience store owners who predicted that the ban would cost them billions staged a demonstration in November in front of the Manhattan office of Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic majority leader. On hand were members of the National Action Network, who have acknowledged accepting tobacco funding over the years.

They invited Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, who died after a police officer who suspected of him selling loose cigarettes placed him in a chokehold. She warned at the event that a menthol ban would increase such encounters with the police. “This will create more havoc in the Black and brown communities,” she said.

In an interview after the event, Ms. Carr said she had not received money from tobacco companies. “I can’t be bought,” she said.

The F.D.A. had previously said that it expected to see the menthol ban finalized by the end of 2023. As months passed, public health groups amped up pressure, staging a “menthol funeral” outside the White House in January to highlight the lost opportunity to extend lives and curb smoking-related disease.

In April, Action on Smoking & Health, an advocacy group, and the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council sued the administration in a bid for action.

“Tobacco industry arguments have prevailed over public health,” Laurent Huber, the executive director of Action on Smoking & Health, said in a statement Friday. “There is no scientific research to support continuing to sell mentholated tobacco products.”

David A. Fahrenthold , Reid J. Epstein and Zolan Kanno-Youngs contributed reporting.

Christina Jewett covers the Food and Drug Administration, which means keeping a close eye on drugs, medical devices, food safety and tobacco policy. More about Christina Jewett

Noah Weiland writes about health care for The Times. More about Noah Weiland