Help someone quit smoking

The decision to quit smoking must be made by the smoker – for their own reasons and in their own time – and not because they are being pressured. You can’t do it for them, but you can help make the quitting process a little easier.

Our booklet has more tips that can help.

Take your lead from the smoker

Be sensitive to the moods and needs of the smoker who is quitting. At different times they may want:

help
to be left alone
to talk about their success

If they slip back to smoking, don’t make them feel guilty. Let them know you’re there to help when they’re ready to try again.

Understanding the smoker

Smoking is a powerful addiction and quitting can be painfully difficult. All smokers have their own reasons for smoking, and each will be motivated to quit by different things. And some will never want to quit strongly enough to become a non-smoker. Smoking is a complex behaviour, and quitting is more than just a simple matter of willpower.

Understanding the quitting process

Quitting doesn’t always happen in one stage. Some people may try to quit 4 or 5 times, or even more, before they quit for good. Others move back and forth between stages such as:

not thinking about quitting
thinking about quitting
preparing to quit
quitting
staying smoke-free for good