by Anne StClair

Created on: June 16, 2010   Last Updated: June 17, 2010

It’s an old joke but a true one: “Stopping smoking is easy – I’ve done it hundreds of times!”

Stopping smoking is not easy (and I know this because I gave up a 35-a-day habit), but it is certainly not impossible, and fooling yourself into thinking it is some kind of a disease you are helpless to fight does not help. What you need to stop smoking is a lot of tricks and simple willpower. You also need a goal, and it really does help if you set a date at which you will have stopped completely. Set the date a few weeks in the future to give yourself time to prepare yourself for the change.

Preliminary Research

If you are going to succeed in stopping smoking, you need a strong will and desire to stop, because without it, you are likely to give up and not stick with it. One way to increase your will to give up smoking is to do some research into the effects of smoking on your lungs and other organs of your body in order to increase your desire and your sense of revulsion at what, after all, is a disgusting habit. There are plenty of resources available on the Internet, so give yourself a few weeks before you stop to do the research. See the list of references at the bottom of this article.

 Print out some graphic pictures of lung cancer and leave them near your ashtray for a few weeks before you stop, as a constant reminder of why you are going to stop. Another idea that works is to keep a jar of water next to your ashtray and drop your cigarette stubs into it. The smell and sight of the tar seeping in the jar will be enough to sicken you, which is exactly the sort of response that will strengthen your will to stop.

 Print or write out some labels with the ingredients of tobacco smoke. You can find a list here: http://www.smokehelp.org/html/smoke.html. You could keep the list with your packet of cigarettes, or for a more powerful visual reminder, get some small jars (like empty herb jars), fill them with water or coloured water, and stick a label on each. Make sure you include the words “toxic,” “carcinogenic,” and the like on each label. Seeing the ingredients each time you light up will also help strengthen your desire to stop.

 Start on the Habit Cigarettes

Most people who smoke have strong habits associated with smoking, such as lighting up with the first coffee or tea, or smoking after a meal or with alcoholic drinks. A week or two before you are going to stop for good, start putting off the

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