How to Help Smokers or Spit Tobacco Users Stop!

Quitting smoking is tough. So is talking to a friend, your mom, dad or anyone you love about quitting. Remember, you can’t make them quit, but you can let them know that you’re there for them if they want to try. Here are a few tips for encouraging someone you love to quit smoking:

1. Ask them to quit. Sounds simple, but do they know you want them to? If they already know you would like them to quit, explain why. Give them specific reasons, like, “I want you to play     sports with me,” or “I love you and I want you to be healthy!”

2. Try not to get angry with them. Many smokers want to quit; they just don’t think they can do it. Make a pledge to never start smoking or using spit tobacco with them.

3. Remember, you can’t force a smoker to quit – they have to be ready. But you can let them know that you are there to support them when they make that decision. If they say they want to     quit, ask them how you can help. Pick a quit date together and offer support along the way.

You’ve probably heard a thousand times that smoking is addictive. But what does that mean, anyway? It means that cigarettes contain a drug called nicotine that actually changes the brain to make smokers become dependent and crave more of it. Nicotine is the main reason people continue to smoke even when they know it is bad for them and that, if they don’t stop, the chemicals and carcinogens in tobacco smoke could eventually kill them. This is why it’s so hard for many smokers to stop, even though they may want to. But if you support an someone who wants to stop smoking by following these tips, you can increase their chances of quitting:

1. Keep them busy. Ask them to go for a walk, play a sport or even go shopping. These activities will keep their minds off cigarettes.

2. Encourage them to get help. When smokers try to quit without help, their brains and bodies miss cigarettes, which is what makes them cranky and, sometimes, what makes them go back to smoking. There are a variety of tools, such as FDA-approved medicines, telephone quitlines and counseling, that can help them get through a quit attempt and increase their chances of quitting.

3. Remind them how happy you are that they chose to quit smoking. You can write it on a note and tell them to keep it in their wallet or some place that they can see it when they think about having a cigarette.

4. Offer to help them create a “quit smoking” journal or a list of reasons to stop. They can use this as way to remember why it’s so important to stop smoking. This also will help them make specific plans to cope with situations that make them wish they could smoke.

5. Be understanding about how hard it is to quit. If they seem cranky, don’t get mad at them. Withdrawal from cigarettes puts them in a bad mood sometimes.

6. Encourage, support and celebrate your parent’s hard work towards quitting. Buy them a card or flowers, or bake them a cake.

7. Make a pledge to never start smoking. It will help inspire your parents to stay smoke-free, too.

Call 1-800-537-5666 for a free stop smoking kit or 1-800-480-7848 to talk to a expert on how to set up a program to stop smoking. Check www.smokefreeup.org for more information.