Self-help

Many smokers attempt to quit on their own through the use of publicly available information. There are materials and resources that can be useful to those who attempt to quit on their own.

Standard self-help materials have been found to increase quit rates compared to no intervention, but the effects have been found to be small. Tailoring materials to provide individualized support seems to be more effective than general untailored materials.¹ While some of these websites provide standard advice, many of them allow people to enter personal information in order to receive individualized feedback.

Since many people eventually seek the help of a health care professional to quit smoking, it is helpful for providers to be aware of the resources available.

Helpful Links

American Cancer Society's Guide to Quitting Smoking

AmericanLegacy.org: This website's mission is to build a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit.  Legacy also provides quitting advice specific to women here.

CDC's You Can Quit Online version of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's, "You can quit smoking consumer guide" ²

Nicotine Anonymous offers help to those who wish to stop using nicotine using a twelve-step approach.

QuitNet is dedicated to providing comprehensive resources and support for people trying to give up smoking, yet does not claim to replace the advice of a physician. This site allows smokers to enter the number of cigarettes they smoke per day and provides them with estimates of how much money and lifetime have been lost due to cigarette use.

Quit smoking by Reader's Digest: As part of the Living Healthy online channel, Reader's Digest includes a section dedicated to providing free resources to help visitors quit smoking.

Smokefree.gov provides a comprehensive online quit guide and other resources.

Smokefreefamilies.org: Advice to help pregnant smokers quit.