For most people, quitting takes more than one try. Some tips and tools can help cut down the number of tries it takes you and help you quit for good.
Quit Resources
Quit Resources
Get inspired!
Everyone needs different support to quit, and it takes most people more than four tries to quit for good. See how Coloradans across the state have quit using support from family, friends, and the QuitLine.
How Love Led Lourdes to Quit
How Thom Got Back on the Horse
Why Tobacco Lost its Magic
Sarah's Supportive Community
Skylar is Stronger Without Tobacco
John's Reason to Quit
Michelle's QuitLine Experience
A Surprising Tobacco Illness
The Personal Cost of Tobacco
Try these tips
- Remember your reason. Everybody’s reasons for quitting are different: what motivates you to take this step?
- Refer to your plan. Set a quit date and think about your life without smoking.
- Watch out for your triggers. What are the situations, places or people that make you want to smoke? When you first quit, it’s a good idea to avoid smoking triggers if possible.
- Plan for when cravings strike. Cravings only last a few minutes but you need to distract yourself. Plan some short activities for when you have the urge to smoke. Consider taking a walk, listening to music or calling a friend.
- Clean up your space. Get rid of all your tobacco products and things like ashtrays and lighters from your home and your car.
- Don’t do it alone! Tell your friends and family that you are quitting and ask for their support.
- Learn from the expert (you). If you’ve tried to quit before, think about what worked during those tries and what you should do differently.
- Use medication. The FDA has approved seven medications, like nicotine patches or gum, that help people quit by controlling cravings.
- Exercise. Studies show that even short periods of exercise decrease cravings and the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.2
- Get help from a proven quit resource. People who get help are seven times more likely to quit for good. 3 The Colorado QuitLine has free quit medications to help control cravings.
- Set goals and reward yourself. After the first week without tobacco, use the money you would have spent on cigarettes to treat yourself.
- Put something in your mouth. Drink lots of water. Keep healthy snacks, gum, mints and toothpicks around to keep your hands and mouth occupied when cravings strike.
Remember the rewards
- Food tastes better and sense of smell improves
- Hair, clothes and breath smell fresher
- Everyday activities like housework and climbing stairs become easier
The recovery process
Your body starts to recover as soon as you stop smoking. Watch the video below to learn more
about the impact that tobacco has on your body and the benefits you’ll see from quitting.
Text in video:
Slide 1: “Your body starts to recover faster than you think after you quit tobacco”
Slide 2: “20 MINUTES – heart rate and blood pressure go down”
Slide 3: “12 HOURS – carbon monoxide level in the blood drops to normal”
Slide 4: “2 WEEKS – 3 MONTHS – lung function increases and circulation improves”
Slide 5: “1-9 MONTHS – coughing and shortness of breath decrease; lungs start to regain normal function”
Slide 6: “1 YEAR – risk of heart disease is 1/2 of that of someone who still smokes”
Slide 7: “9 YEARS – risk of common smoking-related cancers drops by half”
Slide 8: “Source: The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2004.”
Slide 1: “Your body starts to recover faster than you think after you quit tobacco”
Slide 2: “20 MINUTES – heart rate and blood pressure go down”
Slide 3: “12 HOURS – carbon monoxide level in the blood drops to normal”
Slide 4: “2 WEEKS – 3 MONTHS – lung function increases and circulation improves”
Slide 5: “1-9 MONTHS – coughing and shortness of breath decrease; lungs start to regain normal function”
Slide 6: “1 YEAR – risk of heart disease is 1/2 of that of someone who still smokes”
Slide 7: “9 YEARS – risk of common smoking-related cancers drops by half”
Slide 8: “Source: The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2004.”
Quit Statistics
For most people, quitting is a process, not an event. Failure can be part of the process. Most people try to quit and start smoking again five to seven times before they finally quit tobacco forever.
No matter how long you have smoked or how many times you have tried to quit, don’t give up! With help – like free coaching and quit medications from the Colorado Quitline – you can control the cravings and quit for good.
