Not ready to quit altogether?
Try cutting back a bit. Small steps can lead to big changes.
Maybe you aren’t ready to quit smoking altogether, but have you tried to cut back a bit? This step will help build confidence that you can reduce the amount you smoke. The more familiar you are with what to expect if you try quitting, the more confident you will feel. These are samples of ways to reduce the amount you smoke (adapted from the Canadian Cancer Society).
Do one or more of the following.
- Delay your first cigarette of the day by at least 30 minutes. For example, if your first cigarette is at 8 am, delay it until 8:30 or later.
- Reduce your daily intake of cigarettes by one-quarter.
- My current daily intake of cigarettes is _________ divided by 4 is ________ (no. of cigarettes you will cut out of your day)
- My new daily intake of cigarettes is: ___________
- Example:
- My current daily intake of cigarettes is 20 divided by 4 is 5.
- My new daily intake of cigarettes is 20-5 = 15.
- Develop a strict schedule for smoking that involves no more than one cigarette every hour or two hours. When you have each cigarette, remember that it must be in isolation, separate from any routines you associated with smoking in the past.
- Draw a line in the middle of each cigarette. Only smoke to the line. This will cut your intake in half.
Quit Smoking Resources
The following is a list of helplines and resources. New resources are continually available, and the contact information for some of these resources may change. For the most up-to-date information, do an internet search for “quit smoking programs.”
Provincial Smokers’ Helplines
- British Columbia (1.877.455.2233)
- Yukon (1.866.221.8393)
- Nunavut (1.866.877.3845)
- Northwest Territories (1.867.920.8826)
- Alberta (1.866.332-2322 and alberta.quitnet.com)
- Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia (1.877.513.5333)
- Prince Edward Island (1.888.818.6300)
- Quebec (1.866.527.7383)
- Newfoundland, Labrador (1.800.363.5864)
Resources For Youths
- Quit4Life (www.quit4life.ca) is a Health Canada program for 12 to 18 year olds.
- Smoke-FX (www.smoke-fx.com) is Ontario-based and has many useful resources to aid in quitting smoking as well as an advocacy tool kit.
- Smoking Zine (www.smokingzine.org) is a University of Toronto smoking cessation program for teens.
Other Resources
- Inventory of Canadian Tobacco Cessation Programs and Resources (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/pubs/tobac-tabac/ictcpr-rrpcrt/index-eng.php). A listing of smoking cessation programs that are available nation-wide or province-wide.
- Health Canada (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca). Health Canada has numerous resources to help smokers quit. Search the “It’s your health” section of the Health Canada site or use the A-Z index to find out about the latest programs and information they offer.
- Canadian Cancer Society (www.cancer.ca or 1.888.939.3333)
- Canadian Lung Association (www.lung.ca)
- Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
- (www.heartandstroke.ca)
- National Clearinghouse on Tobacco and Health
- (www.ncth.ca/NCHweb.nsf)
- Non-smoker’s right association (www.nsra-adnf.ca)
- Physicians for a smoke-free Canada (www.smoke-free.ca)
- Conseil québécois sur le tabac et la santé (www.cqts.qc.ca)
