Sometimes quitting seems impossible when you think about having to make it through an entire school day without a cigarette - especially when your friends smoke and you're so used to your daily routine including smoking.  

Just attack it one day at a time.  Don't think about making it through the week or the month... just think about surviving today without a cigarette. It'll be over before you know it...  and then you can worry about tomorrow... tomorrow! Here's some things you can do to make it through the day without tobacco.

Drink lots of water and juice, especially before breakfast.  Try to drink 6 to 8 glasses of liquids during the day.  This is thought to wash the nicotine out of your system more quickly.  Avoid alcohol and caffeine!  It'll only make things worse!

Print out the Help-A-Friend Adopt-A-Smoker contract on the Help-A-Friend page, and have a friend sign it with you.  Having a friend for support and signing a contract may help you stay quit.  

Brush your teeth frequently to take away the taste of tobacco and make your mouth taste fresh.  Floss too.

Avoid the places where you usually use tobacco (i.e. in the bathroom, behind the gym, etc.).  When you must go, try to occupy yourself with something else - like if you're going to the bathroom, try washing your hands vigorously instead of lighting up.

Chew sugarless gum or suck on breath mints throughout the day.  Enjoy your fresh tasting mouth!

A lot of smokers find it hard to quit because they're used to having something in their mouths. Keep something in your mouth like a toothpick or a straw to keep your mouth busy.

Leave your cigarettes at home, and don't bum either!

Join a stop-smoking group or take a Tobacco-Free Teens class.

Visit your support person -- the school nurse, counselor, your favorite teacher, or a friend -- for encouragement.

Breathe deeply when you feel like smoking.  Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.  Count to four while you breathe in, hold it for a count of four, and count to four while you breathe out.

Exercise vigorously when possible.  It helps to reduce stress.

Urges - they're the downfall of many a smoker who is trying to quit.  Resist those urges... one at a time.  Here's a list of just a few of the things you can do when you get the urge to light up.

Dance

Think about why you quit

Go to a friend, counselor, or teacher for encouragement or just to talk

Meditate

Email a friend

Sing a song

Play cards

Listen to the radio

Exercise

Surf the web (better yet, surf StepUpNC.com!)

Read a magazine, newspaper, or book

Drink a glass of water

Rent a video

Clean your room

Do aerobics

Play a video game

Fix something that's broken

Chew sugarless gum

Have a mint or hard candy

Try cooking a new recipe

Jog

Go to a museum

Do a breast self-exam

Study

Call up an old friend (or a new one!)

Do a craft project

Draw or paint a picture

Do a deep breathing relaxation exercise

Drink a glass of diet soda

Go for a walk

Read the comics

Do homework

Tell yourself "it will pass"

Play some music

Do your nails

Call or visit a friend or relative

Drink a cup of herbal tea

Go shopping

Do your hair

Sleep

Go to a movie

Write a poem

Take a bath

Play with your pet (or someone else's!)

Stretch

Floss your teeth

Go to the zoo

Have a healthy snack

Take your dog (or your neighbor's) for a walk

Chew on a toothpick or straw