How are you going to quit?
Stopping completely
This means that you set a quit date and stop smoking from this day. Setting a quit date for about two weeks in advance helps you to plan for quitting. Many former smokers say that stopping completely on one day has been more successful than cutting down progressively to no cigarettes in the two weeks before quitting.
Medications that help you quit
Using nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) including gum, patches, sublingual tablets, lozenges or an inhaler - is a smart move. Research shows that using NRT doubles your chance of successfully quitting.
NRT replaces some of the nicotine you would normally get from cigarettes, and helps to reduce the withdrawal symptoms when stopping smoking, but it does not contain any of the toxic substances in tobacco smoke such as carbon monoxide or tar. NRT is available without a prescription from your local pharmacy.
Bupropion is a medication sold in Australia under the trade name of 'Zyban'. You need to visit your doctor for an assessment and prescription, as this medication is not suitable for everyone.
You start taking the tablets about one week before you stop smoking and the bupropion helps to take away the cravings for cigarettes. This is currently the only medication for quitting smoking that is available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. The fact sheet Products to help you quit smoking has more information.
A final note
Quitting is a process, not an event. The more prepared and motivated you are, the more likely that you are to successfully quit.
Developing a quit plan is essential. No quit attempt is a 'failure' because each time you quit you learn more about what happens when you go without nicotine. Remember that most smokers have tried to quit several times before they finally succeed.