Supporting someone giving up smoking
In this section, find out how to support someone else in giving up smoking. Your support can be key to helping someone quit smoking – so make sure you have all the information you need on stopping smoking.
Encouragement and help that comes from friends, family and workmates is important, but, no matter how much you want someone else to stop smoking, the decision to quit has to be theirs. You can’t make them choose something they are not ready for. However, if you are armed with the right information on stopping smoking, you can support someone giving up and encourage them to succeed.
Help someone quit smoking
If they do decide to quit smoking, your help can come in the shape of sharing practical information with them on stopping smoking – all you need can be found in this website.
If you are supporting someone who is giving up smoking, try the following:
- Kick a habit of your own – it's not the same as quitting smoking, but will help you understand what they're going through.
- Keep up their morale with little 'well done' messages or cards.
- Arrange your social activities in places where they can't smoke, like a cinema or sports centre.
- Indulge the occasional bad mood.
- Celebrate some firsts, like their first smoke-free week or month, the first time they manage a party without smoking.
- Don't make negative comments if they lapse.
If you're a smoker yourself, one of the best ways of supporting someone giving up smoking is to respect their decision to stop. Do this by not offering them cigarettes and not smoking near them.