As the sun's angle decreases and the hours of daylight continue to reduce, it’s the time of year when we plan celebrations, hang holiday lights and decorations, put up trees, eat way too many sweet treats, and contemplate resolutions for the coming year. If you are considering making, or have recently made, quitting tobacco one of your resolutions for the new year, here are some things to consider.
PLAN
You may have heard the saying “Failing to plan is planning to fail”. This highlights the importance of having a plan! There are many factors to consider when making a quit attempt:
- When do you want to quit?
- Will you use medications to aid you in your effort? Are there Tobacco Treatment Specialists, or other professionals such as your primary care provider, who can assist with this?
- What sort of tobacco cessation medications might work best for you?
- Who will support you as you make your quit attempt?
PREPARE
- Visit with a professional who is trained to assist with quitting tobacco.
- Develop a medication plan with the assistance of your prescriber and secure the necessary prescriptions for the medications.
- Pick up the medications and ensure your understanding of their recommended use.
- Choose a quit date and alert your family, friends, and other supporters.
- Obtain behavioral replacements you plan to use such as toothpicks, regular gum, hard candy, etc.
- Identify your motivation to make this important change.
ACTIVATE
- On your quit date, begin using any nicotine replacement therapy medication you plan to use (if using oral non-nicotine mediation, such as varenicline or bupropion, start taking it as directed by your prescriber).
- Actively use your behavioral replacement products such as toothpicks or regular gum.
- Reach out to your support people.
MAINTAIN
- Continue to use the tobacco cessation medications as recommended.
- Continue to engage your support network.
- Keep in focus the reasons you made this change.
What will be the most important parts of your quit plan?
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