- Sign up by phone (1-800-QUIT-NOW) or web (click here)
- Young adults (aged 18-24 years) can text “Start” to 36072
- Customized quit plans
- Free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (gum, patches, lozenges) and quit medications
- Individual coaching by caring and trained professionals
- 5 personalized, private coaching sessions
- UNLIMITED inbound support calls
- Coaching in English and Spanish (translation available for 200+ other languages)
- Ongoing text and email support
- Online community
- 100% FREE
- Re-enroll if needed after 6 months
Double or triple your odds of quitting nicotine.
Way to Quit offers proven tools and support to anyone who is trying to quit nicotine. We know that without the right tools, quitting isn’t easy. That’s why we offer free tools like 1-on-1 coaching, patches, and gum. With these tools on your side, quitting becomes a lot easier.
If you or a loved one is ready to quit nicotine, we’re here to help.
You’re twice as likely to quit with coaches
Free and confidential tools to help you quit
You can triple your chances of success with NRT
- Sign up by texting “Start My Quit” to 36072 or online (click here)
- 5 personalized, private coaching sessions
- UNLIMITED inbound support calls
- Coaching in English and Spanish (translation available for 200+ other languages)
- Phone, text, and online chat support designed specifically for teens
- Re-enroll if needed after 6 months
Don’t quit quitting.
Success requires a little persistence. Never stop quitting. Remember, it takes most people around 8 attempts before they quit for good. If you didn’t succeed last time, we’re ready to give you the tools you need to double or triple your chances this time. Quitting nicotine is a journey and we’re here to help along the way. That’s why you can re-enroll after 6 months if you need to try quitting again.
Additional tips to Support your Quit.
The best way to quit for good is to sign up for our free and confidential services, like coaching and free NRT, which double and triple your chances of successfully quitting. Sign up today and get the support you need to quit for the last time.
Here are some additional tips and tricks to help you learn how to quit.
Quit Resources
QuitSTART App: The quitSTART app is a product of Smokefree.gov, a smoking cessation resource created by the Tobacco Control Research Branch at the National Cancer Institute in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and input from tobacco control professionals, smoking cessation experts, and ex-smokers.
Download the App
Quitline Podcasts: These podcasts are for people who are thinking about, or on their journey towards a tobacco-free life. Wherever you are in your quit journey, these podcasts are for you!
Listen Now
Top Quit Tips
A good tip and the right tools can help you quit tobacco. Here are 10 of the most useful tips:
- Set a quit date and make a quit plan.
- Tell family, friends and co-workers about your quit plan, and ask for their support.
- Talk to your doctor. They can give you advice, resources, and medication.
- Throw out all tobacco and related products (ash trays, lighters) from your home, work, and car.
- Place sugar free gum or hard candy in all the places you used to keep tobacco to help with cravings.
- Exercise and get outside.
- Brush your teeth often.
- Get rid of the smell of tobacco in your home and car by washing, vacuuming and cleaning the drapes, carpets, and walls.
- Avoid places and people that involve smoking.
- Take deep breaths; if you can wait just five minutes, a craving usually passes.
Thinking about trying vaping to quit smoking? We don’t recommend it. Click here to learn why.
Remember the 5 D’s to Help You Quit
Use the 5 D’s – delay, distract, drink water, deep breaths, and discuss – to help curb your toughest cravings.
NOTE: The links we provide to websites, or that are accessible through the Waytoquit.org website, are there for your reference and convenience only. We do not control any of these websites, nor are we responsible for their content. Waytoquit.org does not imply any endorsement of the material on such websites or any association with their operators by including these links on the Waytoquit.org website. If you decide to access any of the external websites, you do so entirely at your own risk and you should be aware that upon using any links available via the Waytoquit.org website that you will be leaving Waytoquit.org and subject to the terms and conditions of those sites/platforms, as applicable.
- DELAY
-
Delay
Delay until the craving to smoke passes, which is usually only about 3-5 minutes. Ideas of things to do while you wait:
- DISTRACT
-
Distract
Shift your attention away from thoughts of smoking. The urge to smoke usually passes in about 3-5 minutes. Here are some distractifying options:
- DRINK WATER
-
Drink Water
It satisfies cravings and helps your body get rid of nicotine.
- DEEP BREATHS
-
Deep Breaths
Slow, deep breaths will help you relax and make it through cravings.
- DISCUSS
-
Discuss
Reach out to talk with family and friends for support.
Delay
Delay until the craving to smoke passes, which is usually only about 3-5 minutes. Ideas of things to do while you wait:
You Are 2-3x More Likely to Quit with the Help of a Health Care Provider
Doctors, dentists, and medical staff can help you quit. Quitting can also help other health issues improve. Talk about quitting at your next appointment.
.Some helpful questions may include:
- When/where you smoke
- How you feel before and after you smoke
- Other times and ways you have tried to quit
- What concerns you have about quitting
- Is medication right for me?
- How do I use patches/gum/lozenges?
- What are the side effects I may experience?
- Are there free resources available?
- How can I change my lifestyle to stay quit?
- How can friends and family help?
- How often should we discuss my progress?
*A doctor can give you prescription medication that helps with cravings.
Cravings & Triggers
Knowing your triggers will help you plan ahead and avoid cravings. Don’t let a trigger stand in the way of quitting. The following are the most common types of triggers to avoid.
Social Triggers
People and places can be social triggers. Being around certain people or going to a particular bar can be a strong trigger. Other social triggers include seeing someone smoke or going to events where people smoke.
Emotions
Tobacco is often used as a way to cope with emotions. Stress, boredom, loneliness, depression and happiness can all trigger cravings. Although it’s difficult, try to find other ways to deal with these emotions. Don’t let a tough moment take you back to tobacco.
- Talk to a friend.
- Do some exercise.
- Practice the 5Ds.
Patterns
Do you smoke with your morning coffee? Light up every time you get in the car? These are patterns in your daily life, and when you decide to quit, they can trigger a craving. Changing these patterns can reduce your triggers and make quitting easier.
- Try tea instead of coffee, or drink it in a different location or at a different time.
- Brush your teeth after meals.
- Use sugar-free gum, mints, straws, or toothpicks.
- Keep something in your pocket that you can fiddle with to keep your hands busy.
Managing Withdrawal with NRT
Quitting tobacco is tough. When you quit, your body has to get used to not having nicotine. It’s a difficult adjustment to make, and a hard habit to break. People rarely quit on their first attempt. In fact, it takes the average person around 8 quit attempts before they quit for good. Keep trying until you are able to kick the habit. We know you can do it. And if you need help, we’re here with tools and support.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)
NRT means nicotine replacement therapy, which includes nicotine patches, gum, lozenges, inhalers and nasal sprays. Using NRT triples your chances of successfully quitting. Way to Quit offers free patches, gum, and lozenges to those who qualify.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist about these tools:
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
Patch
Gum
Lozenge
Nasal Spray
Inhaler
Medications
Bupropion SR (Wellbutrin® or Zyban®)
Varenicline (Chantix®)
Withdrawal
Withdrawal symptoms are the strongest the first 24-48 hours after quitting. The symptoms can be quite uncomfortable but they won’t last forever. If you’re having a hard time with withdrawal symptoms, call us at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669) or contact your doctor. If this is a medical emergency, please contact your doctor or call 911.
common symptoms of withdrawal
Headaches
Cravings
Depressed
Mood
Insomnia
Irritability, frustration, or anger
Anxiety
Difficulty concentrating
Restlessness
Decreased heart rate
Increased appetite or weight gain
Quitting Methods
Tapering
Tapering is a gradual approach to quitting. With tapering you start with a predetermined number of cigarettes, cartridges or dips. From there, each day you decrease the amount of cigarettes you smoke or the amount of dips you take by one to five, until you no longer smoke, chew tobacco, or vape. For example, if you smoke 20 cigarettes or take 20 dips per day, you might decide to smoke five less cigarettes or take five less dips each day until you reach your targeted quit date. In this case, it would take five days to stop smoking. It is helpful to track this method through use of a calendar or journal.
TAPERING BY POSTPONING TIME: Postponing time is another gradual approach to quitting. Using this method, you postpone the time of your first cigarette, or first dip of the day, or first vape, each day, by a given number of hours, until there are no hours left in the day for you to smoke, chew or vape. For example, if you decide to postpone your first cigarette, dip, vape by two hours each day, and today you smoke your first cigarette or take your first dip at 7:30 a.m., tomorrow you will wait until 9:30 am, the next day you will wait until 11:30 a.m., and so on until there is no time left in the day. It is helpful to track this method through use of a calendar or journal.
TAPERING BY POSTPONING LOCATION: Postponing Location is the same as Postponing Time; except instead of eliminating time, you eliminate locations, until there are none left. For example, if you smoke, chew, or vape in your car, your bedroom, the dining room, the bathroom, and while talking on the phone, each day you eliminate one location until you have nowhere left to use nicotine. It is helpful to track this method through use of a calendar or journal.
PROS AND CONS: Gradual methods like tapering can be helpful to people who are very dependent on nicotine and experience extreme withdrawal symptoms when they quit. However, it is easier to “cheat” with gradual methods. For example, it is easy to forget how many cigarettes you’ve smoked or dips you’ve taken; to smoke, dip or vape, more in less time; and to discover new locations to smoke, dip, or vape. In addition, with methods like tapering and postponing, users typically smoke fewer cigarettes, but get just as much nicotine, by subconsciously inhaling more frequently and more deeply.
Cold Turkey
“Cold Turkey” means you abruptly stop smoking, chewing or vaping and remain tobacco-free and nicotine-free. Cold turkey, however, does not mean quitting as soon as you first think about it. Cold Turkey means that you set a quit date, preferably several weeks in advance, and stop completely on that date. For example, if a person smokes one pack of cigarettes or dips ten times today, if they quit Cold Turkey, they won’t smoke any cigarettes or take any dips tomorrow or any the day after, and so on.
Pros and Cons: The Cold Turkey method doesn’t require you to keep track of how much tobacco or nicotine you’re using like the tapering methods require. This method will also get you through the withdrawal period more quickly; however, the withdrawal may be stronger. And the thought of suddenly going without nicotine may be too daunting for some nicotine users. This method is considered to be the most effective quitting technique, but other methods can be successful.
Combination of Approaches
In this method, participants try a combination of methods including Cold Turkey, Tapering, Postponing Time, and Postponing Location, until they find one that works (i.e., use tapering until nicotine use is low enough to go cold turkey).
PROS AND CONS: A combination of approaches allows the participant to find the method that works best for him/her. However, a lack of commitment may limit success.
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Dangers of Tobacco
Tobacco harms nearly every organ on your body. Each time you use it, you’re doing real damage. The damage isn’t just immediate, it’s long lasting but sometimes it can take years to see these effects.