Quitting Smoking: What are your concerns?

If you’ve been a life-long smoker, you might wonder if quitting is even worth it. Maybe the fear of nicotine withdrawal or the cravings prevent you from the whole idea of quitting, or maybe you have tried to quit before.

Posted by Avail Content
6 years ago

If you’ve been a life-long smoker, you might wonder if quitting is even worth it. Maybe the fear of nicotine withdrawal or the cravings prevent you from the whole idea of quitting, or maybe you have tried to quit before (that’s common! It almost always takes several attempts to stop smoking before being successful).

Or you may wonder, “The damage is done, so does it really make a difference?”
Any concerns you have about quitting smoking are roadblocks to trying. The solution? List your concerns and educate yourself about them. When you create your quit-smoking plan, you can include specific steps to address these concerns.

I’m concerned about withdrawal symptoms

Everyone experiences withdrawal symptoms when they quit smoking. Sometimes these are minor; sometimes more troublesome. But all withdrawal symptoms can be managed. Sometimes it’s a small change (e.g. drinking more water) and sometimes medication helps (e.g. a nicotine replacement product like a patch).

I’m concerned about gaining weight

Some people (about 1 in 5) gain weight when they quit smoking. Weight gain may be due to changes in metabolism or eating patterns. The solution? Make sure your quit-smoking plan includes regular exercise, low calorie snacks, and a balanced diet.

I’m concerned about how much stress I will feel

Any stress you feel after you first quit smoking is likely due to your cravings and your change of behaviours. As time passes, your body will start becoming more and more relaxed, your heart rate will slow, you will start sleeping better, and your body will use oxygen more efficiently.

I’m concerned about losing my friends

You don’t have to lose anything when you quit smoking except smoking itself. Yes, you might need to avoid friends who smoke until you are strong enough to not light up with them, but eventually you will rejoin them. If you encourage them to spend time with you doing activities that don’t involve smoking, you won’t have to spend time away from them at all. You might even be a good role model for these friends, inspiring them to quit smoking with you.

I’m concerned that I will fail

Occasional setbacks are part of the quit-smoking process.
The only failure is never trying again. As long as you keep your commitment high and you adjust your quit smoking plan to reflect what you learn from setbacks, you will be a success!

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

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Quitting Smoking: What are your concerns?

Last updated 6 years ago

If you’ve been a life-long smoker, you might wonder if quitting is even worth it. Maybe the fear of nicotine withdrawal or the cravings prevent you from the whole idea of quitting, or maybe you have tried to quit before (that’s common! It almost always takes several attempts to stop smoking before being successful).

Or you may wonder, “The damage is done, so does it really make a difference?”
Any concerns you have about quitting smoking are roadblocks to trying. The solution? List your concerns and educate yourself about them. When you create your quit-smoking plan, you can include specific steps to address these concerns.

I’m concerned about withdrawal symptoms

Everyone experiences withdrawal symptoms when they quit smoking. Sometimes these are minor; sometimes more troublesome. But all withdrawal symptoms can be managed. Sometimes it’s a small change (e.g. drinking more water) and sometimes medication helps (e.g. a nicotine replacement product like a patch).

I’m concerned about gaining weight

Some people (about 1 in 5) gain weight when they quit smoking. Weight gain may be due to changes in metabolism or eating patterns. The solution? Make sure your quit-smoking plan includes regular exercise, low calorie snacks, and a balanced diet.

I’m concerned about how much stress I will feel

Any stress you feel after you first quit smoking is likely due to your cravings and your change of behaviours. As time passes, your body will start becoming more and more relaxed, your heart rate will slow, you will start sleeping better, and your body will use oxygen more efficiently.

I’m concerned about losing my friends

You don’t have to lose anything when you quit smoking except smoking itself. Yes, you might need to avoid friends who smoke until you are strong enough to not light up with them, but eventually you will rejoin them. If you encourage them to spend time with you doing activities that don’t involve smoking, you won’t have to spend time away from them at all. You might even be a good role model for these friends, inspiring them to quit smoking with you.

I’m concerned that I will fail

Occasional setbacks are part of the quit-smoking process.
The only failure is never trying again. As long as you keep your commitment high and you adjust your quit smoking plan to reflect what you learn from setbacks, you will be a success!

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