Supporting whānau and friends to quit

Understand the journey

It can be helpful to understand what someone experiences when they stop smoking. 

When someone stops smoking, their body craves nicotine and they experience withdrawal symptoms. This can make someone feel irritable or anxious, be hungrier than usual and they may find it harder to concentrate. Learn about withdrawal symptoms.

Be kind to them. This will pass as time goes by. 

Being there

One of the best ways to support someone is to simply be there for them. Let them know that you're on their side. People have different needs so if you're comfortable, you can ask them how they would like to be supported.

You can also encourage them by:

• making your home and car smokefree
• reminding them of their reasons for quitting when times get tough
• encouraging them to keep going when they think they have failed
• being gentle, because slip-ups can happen and sometimes it can take several tries to get quitting
• help them find other ways to cope with stress
• cheering them on. Each day of being smokefree is a success!

Quit coaches can work with someone's whānau or others in their support network. You might be a part of this. You can attend meetings as a support person, or  join them on the quitting journey too.

More about quit coaches

If you also smoke

This can be an opportunity to join them on their quitting journey. If you’re not ready to quit but are around somebody else who is quitting, here are some things you can do:

• Avoid smoking around them to encourage them to stay on track.
• Don’t offer cigarettes or leave them lying around for them to see.
• Celebrate their successes.