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Quit Smoking

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Quitting smoking can have one of the greatest impacts on your health. If you have never tried to quit, or you have tried several times we can help you make this your last quit. We know that quitting can be tough, and we have tools, tips, and support to help you live a smoke-free life.

Quit smoking plans are as different as the people who use them, and we can help you develop a plan that works for you. This can include counselling, medications, and other support that can help you quit.

Getting started

The best place to start is to make an appointment with your family doctor. They can help assess what kind of support may work for you and make the appropriate referrals.

If your family doctor is part of the Hamilton Family Health Team, you can be referred to our smoking cessation support group.

You can also contact Hamilton Public Health Quitting smoking clinics and programs.

Are you preparing to quit?

Here are some suggestions:

Make a list of your reasons for quitting and keep it handy to review often.
Keep a smoking diary to help identify your reasons for smoking. Then think about what you can do to avoid smoking for each situation. (E.g., stress, boredom, coffee, social, waking up in the morning, driving, etc.)
Explore new hobbies and / or get more physically active.
Assess your environment: make your home and car smoke free, avoid the smoking section at work, remove ashtrays and other smoking related items.

Manage your stress in positive ways. For example, exercise, getting enough sleep, relaxation, and meditation.
As a way of dealing with cravings, try out the 4 D's: Delay, Distract, Drink water, and Deep breathing.
Talk about it with family and friends to gain their support.
Plan to have healthy snacks on hand like previously cut up vegetables or a handful of almonds.
Start to reduce your coffee/caffeine intake especially if you drink more than 2 cups of coffee per day.

Cut down on alcohol if you smoke more when you drink.
Set a quit date and mark it on your calendar.

How to quit

The Government of Canada has some suggestions for how to quit.

The Canadian Lung Association also has some helpful suggestions.

Helping someone quit smoking

Here are some ways you can help someone before and after they quit, as well as some tips for parents to help their kids quit smoking.

HFHT Smoking Cessation Group

Patients of the Hamilton Family Health Team can join a group to help quit smoking. Learn more on our Smoking Cessation group page.

Nutrition in a Minute: Smoking Cessation

Registered dietitian Kate Park shares a few helpful tips about how to manage cravings while quitting smoking.