Sometimes, especially when you've been smoking a lot and for a long time, cigarettes control you rather than you controlling them. Your addiction can demand you smoke at times when you'd rather not, like when you're at a public event or when you're around certain people. Smoking in public also exposes others to second hand smoke, which kills thousands of people per year, according to The American Heart Association. If you're interested in getting control back over when and where you smoke, a few techniques can help you out.
Step 1
Leave your cigarettes at home or in the car. If you don't have them with you, it will be more difficult to smoke.
Step 2
Ask your friends and family members to stop offering you cigarettes and to acknowledge that you're tying to cut down, or at least cut down in public.
Step 3
Ask your doctor or pharmacist about products that can help you get past cravings while you're in public, like patches and gum. These products contain enough nicotine to mitigate withdrawals, but don't involve smoking. Inform your doctor that you plan to continue smoking once you're not in public, so she can prescribe or recommend a safe product.
Step 4
Practice going for longer stretches without smoking while you're at home. Instead of smoking any time the urge hits you, instead only smoke when you're in dire need of a cigarette. You'll likely find that over time this both decreases the amount of cigarettes you smoke and increases the time between them. This may make it easier for you to go to an event without having to interrupt it to smoke.
Step 5
Quit smoking completely. Quitting decreases your chances of developing lung cancer and heart disease, according to the American Cancer Society. It also slows premature aging caused by smoking, which including wrinkles and sagging skin.
Things You'll Need
- Nicotine patch or gum
