Preventing relapse is a very important part of the quit smoking plan. Relapse is the reason all attempts to quit fail....so take this seriously for a long, long time after you successfully quit. Be on your guard and you will stay smoke free and healthier than you've been for a long time.
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| Description & Examples | Pros & Cons | ||
| Preventing Relapse The group program, individual counseling from a healthcare provider, telephone counseling or self-help materials you choose should include information on how to prevent a relapse and what to do if a relapse occurs. |
Refer to Step #1: Preparing to Quit | ||
| Encouragement from Family and Friends | Pros: Convenient/available Understand you well and can anticipate your needs Reinforce your desire to quit when you feel tempted to smoke againCons: May become overly critical if your quit attempt fails If they try to quit for you instead of for themselves, they may relapse and undermine your efforts |
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| Worksite & Community Many worksites and communities offer quit-smoking programs. These often include group programs such as those offered by the American Lung Association or support programs such as Nicotine Anonymous. Smoke-free worksite and community promotional campaigns may also include "buddy systems" and other activities to help people stay smoke-free. |
Pros: Helpful to have encouragement in the places—your job or community—where you spend most of your time Helpful—and healthful—to work in smoke-free workplaceCons: Programs may not be available or may be hard to find in your area Worksite may not be smoke-free or may not encourage nonsmoking |
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| Telephone Encouragement or "Health Lines" In addition to telephone counseling for developing aQuit Smoking Action Plan, many employers, HMOs, communities, and makers of nicotine and non-nicotine medications offer ongoing telephone counseling to encourage staying smoke-free. |
Pros: Convenient Private Provide support when family and friends do not or cannotCons: May not be available in your health plan, company, or community |
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