Quitting Chewing Tobacco

The bad news is … chewing tobacco like smoking cigarettes can be difficult to quit because it is physically addictive (your body craves it), and it becomes a habit (something you do without thinking about it).

For more information, go to stop smoking medications in our Quitting section. 

Planning

• Set a quit date a few weeks in advance.

• Prepare for your quit date by thinking of ways to deal with tempting situations.

• Get your stop smoking medication ready if it is part of your plan.

• Start cutting down on your number of dips or chews each day.

The 4 D’s

• Drink water – whenever you feel a craving coming on, drink a big glass of cool water and rethink whether or not you want to dip.

• Do something else – to satisfy the craving of having something in your mouth, use toothpicks, gum, sunflower seeds, or cinnamon sticks.

• Deep breathing – taking ten deep slow breaths can help to relax you and allow you to forget about the craving.

• Delay – take it one hour at a time.

For online help visit the National Institute of Health’s website.
http://www.nidr.nih.gov/health/newsandhealth/spitTobacco/