Quit Day

The day before Quit Day

Before bed on the day before Quit Day, throw away all your cigarettes. It is safer to crush and flush so you don’t get tempted to get them out of the bin later. Get rid of all ashtrays (including the one in the car), lighters, matches and other smoking paraphernalia. Don’t leave a pack around ‘just in case’. 

Quit Day

Congratulations on taking this step! Quitting is the most important thing you can do for your health. At this stage, you should be taking your medication and it’s now time to implement your plan.

Most relapses occur in the first week after quitting and are usually due to nicotine withdrawal. This period requires special vigilance and full doses of medication. If you are having troublesome symptoms, you may need more medication.

Take special care to avoid your personal triggers and high smoking risk situations. For example, consider avoiding the pub on Friday nights if that is a powerful smoking trigger for you.

Goodbye cigarettes!

Some people find it helpful to write a goodbye letter to their cigarettes. Your habit has been an old friend and a comfort in the past and it can be hard to let go. However, it is slowly killing you. Tell your old friend why you need to move on. 

A fresh start

Consider cleaning your house and car to get rid of the cigarette smell or a visit to the dentist for a clean, fresh mouth. Have a facial to clean the tar out of your skin.

Your regular medications

The dose of certain medications may need to be adjusted after quitting. Smoking lowers the levels of some drugs in the body. When you quit, the levels rise and can cause side-effects in some cases.

Click here to see a list of medications which are affected by smoking. Ask your doctor if you need to make any changes.

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