​​​Are you ready?

1. Review your reasons for wanting to make a change (keep your list handy).
2. Remember that people who get any type of counselling (e.g., telephone, group, or one-on-one) are much more likely to stop smoking.
   • Sign up online at www.albertaquits.ca
   • Join a group support program like the AlbertaQuits, Quitcore program.
   • Talk to your healthcare provider about NRTs and/or medicine if you think you may need it.
   • Talk to your friends and family about your quit plan and how they can support you.
3. Set your quit date and stick to it. Choose a time and day to quit that you think will be the least stressful and the most successful. Find ways to cut down on stress in the first few weeks of quitting smoking.
   
   

   Write down your quit date!

4. Track your tobacco use to learn about your reasons for smoking before you quit and:
   • change your routine to avoid being tempted
   • try cutting down to build your confidence and skills
   • replace smoking with something else you enjoy (e.g., call a friend, chew on a toothpick, drink water)
   • don’t replace tobacco with food
   • think about how you will cope with others smoking around you
   • make a list of people who support you
5. Go back to “My Plan for Change” to remind yourself how you will deal with temptations (e.g., places, people, triggers).
6. Have a plan to help you get back on track if you slip.
• Remind yourself that quitting is a process, not an event.
• Go over your reasons for wanting to make a change.
• Try something new ​​​to help with your plan.
• Get back on track right away if you slip.
• Talk to a supportive person about what happened and be open to his or her suggestions.

Tobacco-Free for Good

Remember: If you slip and start smoking after quitting, you may feel like you’ve let yourself down or that you failed. A small setback is not a big deal. Quitting is a process—sometimes a long one—not an event. Learn from your slips.​​ Get back on track as soon as possible. Update your plan with new strategies. You can do it!

Write down your plan to prevent and deal with slips.