WHETHER YOU DECIDED to quit an hour ago, or have been planning this for weeks, the time to quit smoking is now! Here are some tips, courtesy of Commit, NicoDerm and Nicorette, to help increase your chance of success.

1. Remind yourself why you want to quit. Write the reasons down on a piece of paper you can carry with you.
2. Identify your barriers to quitting. Think about what has kept you from quitting before. Use past attempts to quit as a reference.
3. Tell friends and family that you are quitting. Research shows that support from others can make quitting more successful. "Support" is the key word - positive support is helpful, but nagging is not, so let them know they're there to encourage you - not to be the "smoking police".
4. Use your state's Quitline. This free service (1-800-Quit Now; www.quitline.com) has trained coaches to offer advice and support.
5. Get rid of smoking cues. Out go the cigarettes, ashtrays, lighters, etc. Stay away from places you associate with smoking.
6. Consider using a medication. Therapeutic nicotine products - patches, gum or lozenges - have been shown to double the chances of quitting. They are meant to be started on the day you quit. Nicotine patches, gums and lozenges are available over-the-counter, without a doctor's prescription, so they should be easy to get when you need them.
   
   Be sure to use these medications as directed. If you're using nicotine gum or lozenges, be sure to use the recommended number of pieces per day. For all types of therapeutic nicotine products, it's important to keep using the medication for the recommended treatment duration. Using enough medication each day, and staying on medication for a long enough period of time, can increase your chances of quitting successfully.
7. Plan for cravings. Situations that have been associated with smoking - such as being around people smoking, having a drink or being upset - have the power to trigger powerful cravings. If you have a plan that can get you through the situation without smoking, the craving will usually fade in a matter of minutes. Many people find that thinking of other things (like that memorable vacation, or the one coming up) or just leaving the situation for a little while can help. Oral nicotine medications such as gum and lozenges can also help you deal with these cravings as they come up.
8. It's possible you may slip. Most people do. The trick is to stay with the program and overcome the slip. Slips can be learning opportunities (see tip 2). - T. Foster Jones (from January 2010 The Costco Connection)

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