Strategies to Help People Stop Smoking

Smoking is known to cause cancer, lung disease and heart disease. But, the sooner a person quits smoking the better chance they have of avoiding these and other serious health concerns. The risks for developing diseases caused by smoking decline for each year that an individual is smoke-free. Smokers must commit to quitting smoking for it to work, but a support group of friends and family can greatly increase a person's chances for kicking the habit permanently.

Be Prepared

• Educate yourself on smoking-cessation strategies. Information may be found with a doctor or online with the American Lung Association or American Cancer Society. Understand that quitting smoking is a process just like any other addiction treatment, and it what works for some may not work for others. Have pamphlets on hand or write down information you have garnered on statistics, treatments and, most of all, the benefits of quitting smoking.

Broaching the Subject

• Speak with the smoker about your feelings and fears and how it affects both of you. Ask her in a conversational tone if she's ever considered quitting. An affirmative answer is the first step towards kicking the habit. Ask her what you can do to help and bring up a few of the quitting-smoking techniques you've read about. If the individual is ready to quit, work out a quit date and talk about how you can accomplish the goal together. Most smokers do not quit on their first tries. If one treatment fails, offer other strategies to quit smoking, or help the smoker set up an appointment with a doctor who can prescribe the most effective treatment for her.

Avoid Nagging

• Leave judgment out of the conversation. If a person feels obligated to quit or pressured, he is less likely to stick to a program or truly commit to stopping smoking. If the individual is attempting to quit, go ahead and ask about progress, but avoid making smoking the topic of most conversations. The goal is to get his mind off of cigarettes, not constantly be reminded of them. Ask if there is anything you can do to help him ,and keep conversations about quitting short unless he wants to talk about it.

Show Support

• Reward goals associated with quitting, even if she's just cut back on smoking as part of her quitting process. Positive reinforcement is an important part of stopping smoking. If she's already begun the process of quitting, she may slip up or relapse briefly. This is common, but it is not the time to berate or show frustration. Most individuals quitting smoking are irritable and stressed. Adding more stress will only offer an excuse to pick up another cigarette.

Activities

• Get individuals trying to quit involved in activities. Smoking is not only addictive, it's habit-forming and people usually smoke more in certain places or under particular circumstances. Help the person figure out what these triggers are and find ways to avoid them. Getting a person involved in an activity that will offer him something to do that isn't related to smoking. Physical activities such as sports or exercise help many people on the road to quitting smoking. Crafts and hobbies that occupy the hands and mind are also useful in smoking cessation.