I’d Like to Help Someone Else Stop Smoking
Helping someone to quit smoking can be very beneficial. Many smokers appreciate and rely on the support they get from family and friends during their quit smoking journey.
If you’re trying to help someone else quit smoking, here are some simple ideas to assist them in their quit attempt:
- Be supportive and encouraging. There’s no evidence that being confrontational will help someone quit, so it’s important not to nag or put too much pressure on the person. Quitting smoking can be challenging enough as it is, so a caring and respectful approach is best.
- Suggest an evidence-based quit smoking method. As quit strategies with scientific backing are likely to be most effective, it’s a good idea to suggest reliable, evidence-based strategies and quit smoking products. Learn more in our Quitting Methods section
- Don’t get too disheartened if they have a smoking lapse or relapse. Quitting smoking successfully can take many attempts, so even if the person does go back to full-time smoking, they are still likely to make an attempt again. It’s important to provide encouragement even if a slip-up occurs. Find out about slip-ups in the Smoking Slip-Ups section.
- Be there to talk through concerns or worries during the quit smoking journey. Whether it’s to distract them from smoking, help overcome a craving, or simply talk about the challenges they might be facing with quitting smoking, it’s great for family or friends to be available as “listening posts” at these times.
If you’re helping someone quit smoking, why not suggest they join iCanQuit for free – they’ll have access to tips, tricks and online tools to help them track their quit smoking progress.