Stop Smoking Step 4

Step 4: Final preparations

Once you have all your support and anti-smoking aids in hand, it is time to revisit your ‘Reasons to quit’ list. Read them again to keep that motivation going. By now you should be edging closer to your quit date, so the next step is to throw away everything that reminds you of cigarettes.

Take a big black trashbag and go around your house looking for smoking related items. Lighters, matches, cigarette boxes, rollies, tobacco packs, ash tray, ash pot, money jar for smokes (which will be renamed later on), posters, and yes… even the ’smoking man’ poster you bought a year ago. Tie that trash bag up and keep it out of sight.

Some people still need to smoke a few sticks right until their ‘Quit date’, so instead of throwing everything away, keep everything you have just collected at one spot, right next to that big black trash bag that you will be throwing away. The night before your quit day, sweep everything into the bag, tie it up and throw it away for good. Drive to a communal dumpster or a shopping centre dumpster if you need to, but make sure you will not be able to get that trash back again

Know your local Quitline. In the United States and Australia, there are a few different options provided below:

National Australian Quitline
131-848 (24 hours, 7 days)
This was launched by the National Tobacco Campaign. For the cost of a local call from anywhere in Australia, the Quitline contactable on 131848 provides advice and assistance to smokers who want to kick the habit. Callers will also be asked if they would like to be sent:

  • Quit book - self help resource
  • Advice of planning and techniques
  • Advice on stop smoking programmes

    • United Kingdom NHS Helpline
    0800-169-0-169 Smoking helpline(7am - 11pm)
    0800-169-9-169 Pregnancy and smoking(12pm - 9pm)
    The UK National Health Service offers free group and one-on-one support sessions, so call up to enquire more.

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
    1-800-784-8669 (24 hours a day)
    TTY 1-800-332-8615 (24 hours a day)
    The toll-free number automatically routes to your state-run quitline. If there is no state-run quitline, callers are routed to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) quitline, where they may receive:

  • Help with quitting smoking
  • Informational materials via mail
  • Referrals to other resources

    • USA Great Start Quitline
    1-866-66-START or 1-866-667-8278 (24 hours a day)
    Offers free help for pregnant smokers from the American Cancer Society and the American Legacy Foundation.

    North American Quitline Consortium
    1-800-QUITNOW or 1-800-784-8669
    This national toll-free number connects a caller with the quitline in her/his state. Check with www.naquitline.org for the hours of operation of the quitline in your state

    Go to step 5 here