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Health Today





QUITTING SMOKING: 10 WAYS TO RESIST TOBACCO CRAVINGS 2021



For most tobacco users, tobacco cravings or urges to smoke can be powerful. But
you're not at the mercy of these cravings.

When an urge to use tobacco strikes, remember that although it may be intense,
it will probably pass within five to 10 minutes whether or not you smoke a
cigarette or take a dip of chewing tobacco. Each time you resist a tobacco
craving, you're one step closer to stopping tobacco use for good.



Here are 10 ways to help you resist the urge to smoke or use tobacco when a
tobacco craving strikes.




1. TRY NICOTINE REPLACEMENT THERAPY



Ask your doctor about nicotine replacement therapy. The options include:

 * Prescription nicotine in a nasal spray or inhaler
 * Over-the-counter nicotine patches, gum and lozenges
 * Prescription non-nicotine stop-smoking medications such as bupropion (Zyban)
   and varenicline (Chantix)



Short-acting nicotine replacement therapies — such as nicotine gum, lozenges,
nasal sprays or inhalers — can help you overcome intense cravings. These
short-acting therapies are generally safe to use in combination with long-acting
nicotine patches or one of the non-nicotine medications.

Electronic cigarettes have had a lot of attention recently as an alternative to
smoking traditional cigarettes. However, more studies are needed to determine
the effectiveness of electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation and the
long-term safety of these devices.




2. AVOID TRIGGERS



Urges for tobacco are likely to be strongest in the situations where you smoked
or chewed tobacco most often, such as at parties or bars, or while feeling
stressed or sipping coffee. Identify your trigger situations and have a plan in
place to avoid them entirely or get through them without using tobacco.



Don't set yourself up for a smoking relapse. If you usually smoked while you
talked on the phone, for instance, keep a pen and paper nearby to occupy
yourself with doodling rather than smoking.




3. DELAY



If you feel like you're going to give in to your tobacco craving, tell yourself
that you must first wait 10 more minutes — and then do something to distract
yourself for that period of time. Try going to a public, smoke-free zone. These
simple tricks may be enough to derail your tobacco craving.





4. CHEW ON IT



Give your mouth something to do to fight a tobacco craving. Chew on sugarless
gum or hard candy, or munch on raw carrots, celery, nuts or sunflower seeds —
something crunchy and satisfying.




5. DON'T HAVE 'JUST ONE'



You might be tempted to have just one cigarette to satisfy a tobacco craving.
But don't fool yourself into believing that you can stop there. More often than
not, having just one leads to another— and you may end up using tobacco again.




6. GET PHYSICAL



Physical activity can help distract you from tobacco cravings and reduce their
intensity. Even short burst of physical activity — such as running up and down
the stairs a few times — can make a tobacco craving go away. Get out for a walk
or jog.

If you're stuck at home or the office, try squats, deep knee bends, pushups,
running in place, or walking up and down a set of stairs. If physical activity
doesn't interest you, try prayer, needlework, woodwork or journaling. Or do
chores for distraction, such as vacuuming or filing paperwork.





7. PRACTICE RELAXATION TECHNIQUES



Smoking may have been your way to deal with stress. Resisting a tobacco craving
can itself be stressful. Take the edge off stress by practicing relaxation
techniques, such as deep-breathing exercises, muscle relaxation, yoga,
visualization, massage or listening to calming music.





8. CALL FOR REINFORCEMENTS



Touch base with a family member, friend or support group member for help in your
effort to resist a tobacco craving. Chat on the phone, go for a walk together,
share a few laughs, or get together to commiserate about your cravings. A free
telephone quit line — 800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669) — provides support and
counseling





9. GO ONLINE FOR SUPPORT



Join an online stop-smoking program. Or read a quitter's blog and post
encouraging thoughts for someone else who might be struggling with tobacco
cravings. Learn from how others have handled their tobacco cravings.




10. REMIND YOURSELF OF THE BENEFITS



Write down or say out loud the reasons you want to stop smoking and resist
tobacco cravings. These might include:

 * Feeling better
 * Getting healthier
 * Sparing your loved ones from secondhand smoke
 * Saving money

Remember, trying something to beat the urge is always better than doing nothing.
And each time you resist a tobacco craving, you're one step closer to being
totally tobacco-free.


May 05, 2020
Show references
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