How to quit smoking: 5 actions you can take now to quit smoking and regain your health

(CNN) – Smoking cigarettes is a highly addictive habit that can have long-term adverse health effects, but there is hope for those who want to quit thanks to innovative apps, helplines, and proven coping strategies.

In 2019, more than 34 million Americans smoked, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, for its acronym in English). That was nearly 14% of Americans over the age of 18.

Meanwhile, cigarette sales in the United States increased last year for the first time in two decades, according to a new report from the Federal Trade Commission. It was just a slight increase of 0.4% – the total number of cigarettes sold to wholesalers and retailers nationwide increased by roughly 8 million, from 202.9 billion in 2019 to 203.7 billion in 2020.

Cigarettes contain chemicals that can make this addiction particularly insidious.

Despite the steep uphill battle, the addiction can be overcome.

Here are five actions you can take to help you or a loved one quit smoking and live a healthier life:

1. Focus on how to ‘stay smoke-free’

The goal should not be to quit smoking; rather, it should be about “staying smoke-free,” said Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, director of the Tobacco Treatment Clinic at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.

He said he has had patients who say they have quit smoking many times, but have not been able to quit permanently.

He recommends that people divide their larger goal of quitting into smaller goals.

For example, learn the different triggers that might make you want to smoke. That way, you can be vigilant and find solutions for those actions.

2. Make every time you quit a learning experience

Most people who smoke quit eight to 12 times, due to cigarette addiction, before successfully quitting for good, said Jonathan Bricker, professor in the Division of Public Health Sciences at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington in Seattle.

Because relapses are so common, Bricker tells his patients to find a lesson they can learn from each experience.

“People will say things like, ‘I learned how powerful these cravings are, or I learned that watching my friend smoke was a big trigger for me, or I learned that the stress in my life was a big trigger,'” Bricker said.

Patients should approach the possibility of quitting smoking from the point of view that the more they learn from their relapses, the greater their chances of quitting permanently, he said.

3. Use phone lines and apps for support

Support groups for people who want to quit smoking are dwindling, so Bricker recommended calling a quit-smoking helpline for outside help.

CDC funds a smoking cessation hotline, 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669), which is free to US residents in all states, plus the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Your call automatically goes to the quit line in your state or territory.

Callers are connected with coaches who help smokers create a plan to quit smoking and give them advice when facing withdrawal and cravings.

Currently, state smoking cessation hotlines only reach about 1% of people who smoke, which the CDC largely attributes to a lack of funding to promote the service.

The Bricker team at Fred Hutch helped create the app iCanQuit, which was funded by a grant from the US National Institutes of Health.

The app focuses on acceptance and commitment therapy, which encourages people to accept their emotions and thoughts rather than push them away. The tool also offers resources for quitting smoking and managing cravings when they arise, Bricker said.

4. Talk to your medical provider

People who want to quit smoking can talk with their medical provider to come up with a multi-strategy treatment plan, Galiatsatos said.

Doctors can prescribe medications to curb cigarette cravings and make them more manageable, he said. It’s a short-term solution to help train your brain not to crave cigarettes so much, Bricker added.

The medications doctors provide will depend on your specific situation, Bricker said. Prescriptions tend to be minimal at first and then increase depending on the severity of the addiction.

5. Support people addicted to smoking

Galiatsatos said she’s never encountered a patient who doesn’t know smoking is bad, so she recommends avoiding that argument when appealing to a loved one who smokes.

“If you really want to help your loved one quit smoking, you have to approach him as a smoker and an anti-tobacco user,” he said.

When trying to help someone who smokes, make it clear that you are approaching the situation without stigma or judgment, Galiatsatos said.

Once trust is established, she recommends that friends and family volunteer to help smokers find resources on how to quit smoking.

Medical providers should also support their patients who smoke, Galiatsatos said.

If patients feel judged by their doctors for smoking, they may simply lie about it. And that doesn’t help anyone, he said.

Even when patients do not feel motivated to quit that day, it is important to describe the different treatment options so they have the resources later.

Why is smoking so addictive anyway?

Cigarettes are packed with chemicals like nicotine, which are chemically enhanced to fuel that addiction, Galiatsatos said.

Chemically enhanced nicotine closely resembles the common neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which helps control muscle movement and other brain functions.

When nicotine inserts into acetylcholine receptors, your body releases dopamine, the brain’s “feel good” chemical. When the dopamine wears off, people start craving another cigarette.

“I always tell people that this is the most insidious addictive molecule known to man because it doesn’t just cause an overdose,” said Galiatsatos, who is also a volunteer medical spokesperson for the American Lung Association.

It reconnects the smoker’s brain for years and years, and “when someone realizes that they are stealing their health, it is incredibly difficult to break that addiction.”

Despite the enormous effort it takes, never forget: it is possible to overcome this addiction and enjoy better health.

This article was updated with information from Allison Morrow