Use this guide if you want to stop smoking, whether you are joining Stoptober in October or starting any other time. Have your phone, a calendar and a note of when and why you usually smoke.
Step by step
Set a quit date
Choose a date in the next couple of weeks, ideally when you are not under extra pressure. Tell family and friends so they can support you. Stoptober in October is a popular time to start, as many people quit together.
Contact your local stop smoking service
Local NHS stop smoking services are free and give one-to-one or group support, which makes you much more likely to succeed than going it alone. Search for your local service on the NHS website, or ask your GP or pharmacist. Pharmacies can also advise on stop smoking aids.
Choose your quitting aids
Options include nicotine replacement such as patches, gum, lozenges and sprays, prescription medicines, and vapes. Talk to a stop smoking adviser, pharmacist or GP about what suits you, especially if you are pregnant or have a health condition. Using support together with an aid gives you the best chance.
Know your triggers
Write down the times you usually smoke, such as with coffee, after meals or when stressed. Plan something else to do at those moments, like a short walk, a drink of water or chewing gum. Remove cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays from your home and car.
Get through the first weeks
Cravings usually pass within minutes, so delay, distract yourself and breathe slowly. Use the free NHS Quit Smoking app or text support to track progress and money saved. If you slip, do not give up; learn from it and carry on.
Stay smoke-free long term
Keep using your support until you feel confident, and follow your adviser's plan for reducing nicotine aids. If you switched to vaping, aim to stop vaping too in time. Seek help again straight away if you feel yourself slipping back.
Ready-to-use checklist
- Quit date chosen
- Family and friends told
- Local stop smoking service contacted
- Quitting aid chosen with advice
- Triggers written down
- Cigarettes and lighters removed
- Quit app or text support set up
- Plan for slips written down
Practical tips
- Put the money you would have spent on cigarettes into a separate pot and watch it grow.
- Make your home and car smoke-free from day one to protect others.
- Vapes are for adults who smoke; never give them to children or non-smokers.
Common problems
I have tried to quit before and always go back.
Most people take several attempts to quit for good. Using a local stop smoking service with a quitting aid gives you a better chance than trying on willpower alone.
I feel irritable, hungry and cannot sleep since stopping.
These withdrawal symptoms are common and usually ease over a few weeks. Speak to your pharmacist or stop smoking adviser about adjusting your aids, and call NHS 111 if you feel very unwell.
I am pregnant and want to stop smoking.
Stopping is one of the best things you can do for you and your baby. Speak to your midwife, who can refer you to specialist free support.
This guide gives general information, not personal legal, financial or medical advice. Rules and prices change, so check the current position with the official service before acting.
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