I Want to Quit Smoking...But He Doesn't

You can still do it. Here's how.

After a long, stressful day at work, you’re glad to be home. You collapse onto the couch, take a deep breath—and smell cigarette smoke. Your husband is smoking in the kitchen. You’ve been smoke-free for a week, but this immediately makes you crave a cigarette. “Trying to quit while living with someone who smokes is difficult,” says tobacco treatment counselor Dianna Mulhern. “If you eliminate other things that trigger a craving, like ashtrays and cigarette lighters, you can be successful.”

LVHHN will become smoke-free in 2007, and 115 colleagues are trying to quit with support from our Tobacco Treatment Program. “Many of them are receiving additional support at home, but some are dealing with members of their household who aren’t ready to quit,” Mulhern says.

What can you do if you’re trying to quit, but your family and friends aren’t? Here are some tips:

You'll be successful if you reward yourself.
TIP: Save your cigarette money and do something special with the smoker in your life. Go to a smoke-free restaurant or a movie. "It may prompt the smoke to think about quitting," Mulhern says.

Quitting is easier with the support of family and friends.
TIP: Build a support network with colleagues or others trying to quit. Your children can offer great support, too.

Our Tobacco Treatment Program can make the difference.
TIP: Bring your family member or friend who smokes along to meet with a tobacco treatment counselor. "We'll develop a compromise that allows the smoker to smoke without triggering the person trying to quit," Mulhern says.

Many people who smoke have spouses who smoke. "Often these couples communicate best when they smoke together," Mulhern says.
TIP: Find a new way to connect. Eat dinner together or go for a walk.

A house with a smoker can be filled with triggers.
TIP: Limit smoking to one room in your house or ask smokers to go outside. Walk away from cigarette smoke.

Secondhand smoke is dangerous to non-smokers, especially children.
TIP: Explain to your spouse that your children are four times more likely to develop bronchitis and pneumonia, and can be at risk for cancer if they're around cigarette smoke. It may prompt him to quit.

 To learn more about the dangers of secondhand smoke, call 610-402-CARE.

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