Cigarettes have a bad rap for good reason. According to Health Canada, smoking negatively impacts almost every organ in your body and is linked to over two-dozen diseases and conditions, such as various cancers, coronary heart disease, emphysema and high blood pressure.

Your 5 Step Smoking Cessation Action Plan

• Identify and avoid your triggers - Jot down a list of the things and situations that really make you want to smoke. Perhaps it's your morning coffee, stress or relaxing in front of the TV at night. Then think about and make note of how you can deal with these triggers after your quit-date. "For example, if coffee is a trigger for a craving, you may opt to switch to tea for a week or two," says Bennett. Establishing a tweaked daily routine that keeps you out of temptation's way will help control your desire to smoke.
• Get ready to curb cravings - Expect cravings and withdrawal symptoms (which can include coughing, headaches, nervousness and irritability) to be at their peak within the first week or two of quitting, says Bennett. In order not to succumb to a hankering, you have to know how to manage them. Here's what to do:
  Delay. Most urges go away in just a few minutes, so hold on to your resolve as the craving passes through.
  Distract. Take your mind off the craving by immediately doing something else, such as brushing your teeth, picking up a book or chewing on a carrot, suggests Bennett.
  Deep Breaths. "This helps to relax the body as well as pass the time," she says. Inhale and exhale purposefully and slowly for a few minutes.
  Drink water. Have a glass of chilled H20, holding each sip in your mouth for a minute or two. "It provides a new sensation for the mouth, and it helps with the habitual aspect of the craving by doing that hand-to-mouth activity," Bennett says.
• Choose a cessation method - Quitting cold-turkey works for a select few, but most smokers need more help to fully break their nicotine addiction and habit. "Research shows that getting supportive counselling combined with a nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) puts you in the best position to successfully quit," says Bennett. "It's really a holistic quitting experience, and the more contributing factors you can have to support your quit, the better." So, have a quit-coach (you can access cessation specialists at smokershelpline.ca) in place as well as an NRT that's proven to be effective. Consider the new Nicorette Combination Therapy – the only quit-smoking system that comes with nicotine patches, which help you gently wean off the drug and minimize withdrawal symptoms, and gum that helps get you through cravings. For additional guidance and support while you quit, consider joining the free 14-week program at activestop.ca, where the quitting process is broken down into manageable daily steps.
• Know how to keep your hands and mouth busy - You have a hand-to-mouth habit. So, it's important to find healthier ways to occupy your hands and mouth after you butt out. Build quit-kits before your quit date, filling them with things such as gum, hard candies, worry stones and healthy snacks (think raw and crunchy veggies like carrots and celery), and keep them at home, in the car and at work, says Bennett.
• Surround yourself with a support team - Have cheerleaders by your side as you go through this healthy yet challenging change. You will need encouragement and listening ears as you transition from smoker to non-smoker. Enlist family, friends, your local Rexall pharmacist or doctor, and also consider joining a peer-group. Consider smokershelpline.ca, where you can connect with others who are also butting out. And don't forget about quit-coaches, as they can provide you with professional support 24/7 and put together a personalized cessation program for you.