Nicotine is a very addicting drug and breaking the nicotine habit is not easy . It will take a lot of effort on your part. But half the people who have smoked have quit. Put energy into it. You can quit too!

List your reasons for quitting

Anyone can quit smoking. It does not matter about age, health, or lifestyle. The decision to quit and your success depends on how much you want to stop smoking. Make a list of the reasons you want to stop smoking.

Set a quit date

Set a quit date. Setting a quit date works better than trying to taper off and preparing by making changes in you home and life can help. Talk with your health care provider about smoking cessation programs and find out about nicotine gum or nicotine patches. Write down your quit date in a prominent place.

Build on past tries

Usually people make 2 to 3 tries before finally being able to quit. If you've tried to quit before but you're still smoking-- think about what was helpful and what didn't work . Make a list of the things that work.

Plan ahead

Plan ahead for situations where you know you'll want to smoke. Be prepared to do something else so your won't smoke. Ask you health care provider for tips and make and keep an appointment 1-2 weeks after your quit date.

Get support

Get support from family, friends and former smokers. You don't need to do this all on your own.

One thing at a time

Don't try to quit smoking and diet at the same time. Dieting at this time can decrease your success in quitting. Most people who stop smoking will gain fewer than 10 pounds. The health benefits of quitting far outweigh the risks of gaining weight.

Resources

• http://www.quitnet.org/

• http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/tipsteen.htm