Seven Tips to Quit Smoking!

This week I'm focusing on QUITTING SMOKING, the absolute most important thing you can do for your health if you smoke. I've talked about prescription aids, but what can you do on your end? Lots! Here are seven tips that patients have had the most success with over the years:

1. Set a QUIT DATE and TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW (helps keep you accountable!)
2. Right NOW, only smoke the cigarettes you REALLY want (typically around 6 per day for a pack per day smoker).
3. Do NOT smoke the "trigger" cigarettes-phone rings, starting the car, turning on the tv or finishing a meal.
4. Have your car professionally cleaned the day before your quit date (if you smoke in your car.)
5. Clean out your "smoking area"- throw out or give away ashtrays.
6. Pick a splurge reward and earmark your cigarette money to pay for it! Cigarettes cost a ton of money, so toss those $5 and $10 bills into a large glass jar on a counter top each day and have a fun visual reminder of your savings, or post a picture of your prize and make a money "thermometer" that you can color in as the money grows.
7. Grab some really sour hard candy to suck on the first week as a non-smoker; the sour nature stimulates your salivary glands and really helps with the oral craving portion.

BOTTOM LINE: Start with these seven tips to insure that THIS time you will be successful QUITTING SMOKING!