If we had to agree on only one reason that smokers don’t quit, I think this fits the bill:
Smoking is more important than quitting.
That is true for smokers who show no interest in quitting, as well as those smokers who have been working at quitting for years, possibly even decades.
It’s true for smokers who have never made a quit attempt, as well as smokers who have tried quitting dozens of times.
The same goes for heart attack, stroke and cancer survivors who still smoke, as well as smokers living with COPD (emphysema and chronic bronchitis).
I’m not trying to be cute. And I don’t mean to sound insensitive. But, here’s the thing:
In the moment that a cigarette gets lit, smoking is more important than quitting.
It’s that simple, no matter how important quitting is to a smoker.
So, the question for smokers to ask themselves is, “What would have to happen for quitting to become more important than smoking?”
Many smoker I talk with come up with some pretty unsavory responses.
So the next question for smokers to contemplate is whether or not that is how they want quitting to play out for themselves.
Sometimes a 2-minute conversation with a tobacco user makes quitting more important. (In fact, research shows that just 3 minutes with a quit specialist significantly increases quit rates).
And when something becomes more important, confidence about being able to achieve it rises, too.
When a smoker feels more confident about being ABLE to quit, they are far more likely to make a quit attempt.
And the ONLY way to become a nonsmoker is to attempt to do it!
Working backwards: Quit attempts increase when confidence about quitting is increased. Confidence is increased when quitting becomes more important. Speaking with an experienced and certified professional can make quitting more important to smokers. I’m an experienced and certified professional.
Free quit lines are a great resource for smokers and I recommend them to anybody who isn’t able or willing to invest in my help.
But, the operators answering quit lines are not certified professionals. They are not necessarily former smokers. And their pay isn’t linked to their effectiveness.
I’m a Mayo Clinic-Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist with nearly 20 years of experience working exclusively with tobacco users. I am a former smoker and my ability to earn a living fully depends on my ability to effectively motivate and guide smokers away from a deadly, expensive, inconvenient and unattractive dependence on nicotine products.
Where we spend time and money is a reflection of what is important to us. For smokers, it’s clear that cigarettes are important. How can we help smokers see smoking as less important? Focus on how to make quitting MORE important.