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Top 10 Tips to Help Family & Friends Quit
If there is a smoker in your life who you want to help quit smoking, you can play an important role in supporting their quit. But remember that quitting is a personal choice and you cannot make this person quit. People will only quit when they are ready.

The best thing that you can do is be there to provide non-judgmental support and help as they struggle to become tobacco-free.

Helping friends and family through this process is not easy, so here are 10 tips for helping them quit:

  1. Ask how you can help. Quitting smoking is a personal decision. Don’t assume that you know the right things to do.
  2. Be supportive. Let them know that they can call you whenever they need to—especially in a crisis.
  3. Help to change routines. Spend time with them doing things to keep their mind off smoking or suggest starting an exercise routine together.
  4. Avoid nagging at all costs. Don’t judge, preach or scold either. This could make them feel worse or increase their stress level—a major trigger for smoking. Ask them how their day is going rather than whether or not they smoked.
  5. Offer practical support. Helping with daily chores, like cooking dinner, mowing the lawn or babysitting, will help lighten the stress of quitting.
  6. Allow for bad moods. Quitting smoking is a difficult thing to do, and feelings of anger and irritability can be normal withdrawal symptoms—but temporary. So don't take their behaviours personally and allow them some extra slack, especially during the first few weeks of her quit.
  7. Be flexible. If they want to be left alone, so be it. If they want your encouragement and support, be there.
  8. Be understanding of slips. Understand that smoking is a powerful addiction, and it may take several attempts before they quit for good. Quitting is a process, and each quit attempt a learning experience.
  9. Celebrate successes! Quitting smoking is a BIG DEAL! Plan something special to mark their significant tobacco-free milestones, such as the first tobacco-free week, the first month and the third month.

  10. Remind, reinforce and encourage. Remind them of the reasons for quitting in the first place. Reinforce the benefits of their being tobacco-free. Encourage them to reward themselves with their savings from not smoking.

Tidbits about Quitting:

  • Relapse is common. For many people it can take more than one try.
  • The first two weeks are usually the hardest.
  • Some of the most common reasons for people going back to smoking include strong negative emotions, being around other smokers and drinking alcohol.

Download Top 10 Tips to Help Family & Friends Quit