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

http://www.quitnet.com/: 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.

http://www.smokefree.gov/: Online quit guide and other resources.

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/quit_smoking/you_can_quit/index.htm: Online version of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's, "You can quit smoking consumer guide."²

http://www.americanlegacy.org: This website's mission is to build a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit.

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_10_13X_Guide_for_Quitting_Smoking.asp: American Cancer Society's Guide to Quitting Smoking

http://www.smokefreefamilies.org/: Advice to help pregnant smokers quit.

http://women.americanlegacy.org/index.cfm: This website provides quitting advice specific to women.

http://www.nicotine-anonymous.org: Nicotine Anonymous offers help to those who wish to stop using nicotine.