The EX Plan is based on scientific research and practical advice from ex smokers. It isn’t just about quitting smoking. It s about “re learning life without cigarettes.”
It doesn t matter if it’s your first try or your tenth, EX can help you quit and stay quit. Research shows that the more times people come to the EX site, the more likely they are to quit smoking. The three steps in the EX Quit Plan can help you
Re Learn Habit
You know how certain things make you want to smoke, like stress at work, drinking a cup of coffee or even just watching the game with friends? EX shows you how to handle these triggers without lighting up.
Beat your triggers >>
Re Learn Addiction
Nicotine changes the chemistry in your brain, so it s harder to quit. If you ve struggled with quitting, it s not you it s the addictive nature of cigarettes. EX shows you how to fight back and double your chances for success.
Learn how addiction works >>
Re Learn Support
Support from friends and family can increase your chances of quitting, but lots of smokers try to go it alone. EX shows you how to get the support you need, even if it s just getting people to give you some space every once in a while.
Build your support system >>
The EX Community is Always There for You
Quitting smoking can be hard. And no one understands this more than people who are going through it. The EX Community is full of people just like you who are trying to quit they ll help you get through the tough times and celebrate your success.
Check out the EX Community >>
Why Are You Quitting?
There are many good reasons to quit. Keeping them in mind during your quit will keep you focused and help you succeed. Get started with your personalized plan by clicking on your biggest reason for quitting smoking below.
- To Improve My Health
- For my family
- To save money
- A health condition
- Appearance, smell
- I am pregnant
- I do not smoke
Stop smoking: how to quit cigarettes for good
Cigarette taxes in the united states – wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For all the intense efforts to reduce smoking in America over the past two decades, the progress has not been stellar. Today one in four men and one in five women still smoke.
For those who never smoked, this is a befuddling fact. Don’t smokers understand that cigarettes are the number one killer in America, that they dramatically increase risk for heart disease, stroke, cancer, high blood pressure, and almost every other health concern, small or large? How could any habit be worth this?
Truth is, most smokers do understand. They also understand the huge financial toll of smoking, with a pack of 20 cigarettes costing $10 in some areas (imagine $3,650 spent a year on cigarettes by pack a day smokers often people of only modest resources).
Then why do millions still smoke? In good part, because the nicotine in cigarettes is highly addictive. In good part, because smoking provides psychological comfort to some people. Perhaps most of all, because quitting smoking is so hard.
Researchers and businesses have responded strongly to the last point. Never have there been so many tools, systems, and programs available for quitting smoking. And with every month that passes, there is more research showing the benefits of quitting, and the drawbacks of not quitting.
So if you smoke, consider again whether it is time, finally, to quit. If yes, you’ll need to think through the best approach, perhaps working with your doctor or an expert. But the following 25 tips will help you succeed.
1. Make an honest list of all the things you like about smoking. Draw a line down the center of a piece of paper and write them on one side on the other side make a list of all the things you dislike, such as how it can interfere with your health, work, family, etc., suggests Daniel Z. Lieberman, M.D., director of the Clinical Psychiatric Research Center at George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Think about the list over time, and make changes. If you are brave enough, get feedback from family and friends about things they don’t like about your use of cigarettes. When the negative side outweighs the positive side, you are ready to quit.
2. Then make another list of why quitting won’t be easy. Be thorough, even if the list gets long and discouraging. Here’s the important part Next to each entry, list one or more options for overcoming that challenge. For instance, one item might be “Nicotine is an addictive drug.” Your option might be “Try a nicotine replacement alternative.” Another reason might be “Smoking helps me deal with stress.” Your option might be “Take five minute walks instead.” The more you anticipate the challenges to quitting, and their solutions, the better your chance of success.
3. Set a quit date and write a “quit date contract” that includes your signature and that of a supportive witness.
4. Write all your reasons for quitting on an index card and keep it near you at all times. Here are some to get you started “My daughter, my granddaughter, my husband, my wife… “
You get the idea.
5. As you’re getting ready to quit, stop buying cartons of cigarettes. Instead, only buy a pack at a time, and only carry two or three with you at a time (try putting them in an Altoids tin). Eventually you’ll find that when you want a smoke, you won’t have any immediately available. That will slowly wean you down to fewer cigarettes.
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