It would be difficult to believe that there would be anyone in the world today who is not aware of the dangers of smoking. There is so much media attention on the subject plus anyone can just see what heavy smoking does to a person. Whether you are a person who is a smoker or a friend of smoker, you will probably be interested to know that you can quit smoking today. But first, what is the most important prerequisite to quitting smoking? You have to want it. If you don't want to quit smoking then you will only try to make an attempt to please others but it will not work. The desire to quit smoking must come from within. For example, there have been stories of some who when they saw another with emphysema caused by smoking it scared them so much that they quit.

Nicotine in tobacco is highly – addictive. Even the habit itself is addictive. For many smokers a cigarette is associated with relaxing, calming nerves, keeping your weight low, and taking a break. Many soldiers in the U.S. Army who were non-smokers complained that the smokers were able to take more breaks during training so they could smoke. In fact, if you are a non-smoker and work in an office building it can get rather irritating to see your friends be able to go outside and take a smoke break. They are only supposed to smoke one but end up smoking two or three while outside and overextend their break time.

If you have made the move to quit smoking or if you are advising a friend on how to quit smoking then here are some tips you need to know. Some might want to use nicotine patches to help them but remember that the smokers will have to wean themselves off of the nicotine eventually.

For the smoker, set a date as to when to stop smoking. If you tell others about it then you will have a sense of accountability to them to follow through with what you said. On that day, you need to make sure all of your cigarettes are gone and you will not light up. During this time, you need to get yourself a support group. Tell people who you know are going to support you and not criticize you in your adventure. This is important because in just a short time you will become very irritable and you will need understanding and supporting friends and family around you.

When you quit, you are going to feel very short-tempered, sleepy, hungry, and a little lazy. All you can do is stay with it because if you back down now, you'll have to go through it the next time you quit. When you feel the urge to smoke, chew some gum. The nicotine patches help to curb this craving tremendously but beware that when you do get off the nicotine patches, you will have to go through the pain as well. This is why it is especially important to tell family members that you are quitting because when you get cranky (and you will) they will at least understand you.

And lastly, if you cannot make it and smoke again, don't worry about it. Just try to quit again. Most smokers never quit the first time. You will gain some weight after you quit but remember that a little weight usually does not kill someone but smoking more than likely will.