How do you encourage a loved one to quit smoking?

a man holding a cigarette

Most smokers use tobacco regularly because they’re addicted to nicotine, and not because they enjoy the taste, smell or negative health consequences. Nevertheless, if you’re looking to give support to a friend or family member when they’re attempting to quit smoking, remember to offer statements of affirmation, encouragement, and diplomacy to allow them to express and explore their thoughts on the matter. While a pat on the back works for some people, the best JUUL compatible pods on the market work better for others and strengthening your reassurance in their success goes a long way. 

Talk about the health benefits of quitting

There are so many ways that health and well-being can benefit once your loved ones extinguish their last cigarette. As one of the leading causes of lung cancer, coronary disease, Type 2 Diabetes, and high blood pressure, smoking tobacco comes with a large number of increased health risks, which is why informative persuasion has the power to go a long way in aiding the quitting process.  

While you can’t physically sustain your loved one’s motivation to quit, you can offer to share health reports and use data and materials from credible sources to show them what can happen when they successfully reduce their smoking cessation. For example, one year after they quit smoking, their risk of getting coronary disease decreases by 50% and after five years of being smoke-free, their chances of getting lung cancer drop by 60%

Praise them, even if they achieve smaller goals

Quitting smoking will likely be one of the hardest things your loved one will ever overcome, and even if they manage to remain smoke-free for a single week, you must reassure and support them through their life-changing transition. While it’s pretty common for people to attempt to quit multiple times before succeeding, keep in mind that everyone’s journey is different and some may take longer than others. Try encouraging them to keep up their efforts by writing a list of the reasons that they want to quit. Then, have them place it in a prominent location that allows them to view and read them every day. 

Remind them of some behavioral tips to help kick the craving 

While each person’s cravings are triggered by their individual needs, there are activities you can suggest to your loved one when they’re confronted with the urge to smoke: 

  • Encourage them to keep their hands busy (knitting, gardening, and drawing). 
  • Try deep breathing exercises.
  • Exercise daily, even if their abilities only allow them to go for a short walk. Offer to partner with them, which is something that benefits both of you. 
  • Talk to them every day and ask, “how are you feeling?” and “do you have any new reasons to quit smoking?” Positive self-talk is a great way to keep the motivation flowing. 
  • Suggest that they attend a stop-smoking meeting in their area. It often helps to discuss the craving with another person who may understand what they’re going through. 
  • Encourage them to get rid of all their tobacco products and even clean their clothing to remove any old, cigarette odors. 
  • Tell them to start a savings jar and whenever they’re feeling like going out to buy a pack of cigarettes, they can toss their change into the jar and admire how quickly it fills up! 
  • Gift them some of the best JUUL compatible disposable pod e-cigs on the market. While some people can successfully quit cold turkey, others rely on e-cig devices to slowly lower their nicotine levels over time. The more important thing is that they’re tobacco-free and working on keeping away from traditional cigarettes. 

What motivational intervention strategies have you used to help loved ones in the past? Drop some advice below for our readers.

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