How do I encourage my husband to quit smoking?

Question

He wants to quit but doesn't know how to stop. He tried the patch for like 3 days and complained that it was too itching on his skin and then he tried hypnosis which cut him from a pack a day to a half pack. He smokes outside of our home because of our one year old son and me having allergies. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks.

Answer 1

Smoking, or any other addiction, for that matter, stems from stress. Perhaps you may be sensitive enought to 'know' his feelings re certain things and try to work sensitively around them, since he is unable to talk about most things that stress him. Or, if he talking at all, he is finding it more stressful that some issues are not solved. Life is always providing us with stresses; there are healthy ways to resolve some stress; other stresses we have no control over, we need to find ways not to 'beat' it(displacing stress onto smoking, drinking, drugs, etc), but to 'work around' it, like doing emotional 'tai-chi', a stressless way to overcome things beyond our control.

You could start by affirming him when you can, if not, daily. Say accurrate things about him that you also feel good about saying. Compliments are not flattery. This will not work in the long run. Be accurate about what you say, so he is more certain you mean what you say about him (pls tone down the negative side of him, we all have that too, including you) in a kindly way, not in a way that shows him you are seeking something else from him. Affirmations are not 'hooks'. We do all the time in business or in many relationships. Tone down on that. Genuine relationships last with discernment of what is genuinely 'laughable' or funny, not what is funny at someone else' expense. I believe this is called growing up while growing old.

cheers! I hope this helps a little...
:)

Answer 2

Go stage -by- stage, these are the stages:

1. Get him chewinu and make sure he chews about a pack a day for about 2 weeks.

2. Take all his cigerette boxes and fill them with gum.

3. Get him special pill/gum that helps prevent smoking and try to change the gum into that.

4. This is the tricky part, you both have to take a week off work, you will be following him around DAY & NIGHT 4 one whole week, each time he wants to smoke, you will give him the specail smoking gum. DOESNT MATTER HOW MUCH HE BEGS! EVEN 4 HIS LIFE. dont give him.....

5. The next week, take away all the cigerretes and gums he will stay home, but you can go to work, you said he wont smoke because of the baby, thta means he WONT SMOKE. when he comes home, DONT LET HIM, he might start crying/jumping (maybe on couches) but that is just the affect from the nicotine. DONT LET HIM HAVE IT!

CONTINUE....

Answer 3

I quit nine years ago and my wife is quitting now. I'd suggest that you encourage them AFTER they decide to quit. There's already a lot of societal pressure on them to quit and extra pressure won't make quitting any easier. Be as supportive as you can. I suggest that, after they've decided to give up smoking, they use as many weapons in the quitting arsenal as possible. As an example, when I quit, I used both hypnosis and nicotine gum. My wife is using the prescription pill Chantix and also went for hypnosis. So far, she's doing well. I can definitely recommend hypnosis but be sure to use private hypnosis, group sessions are cheaper but worthless. Good luck.

Answer 4

Well, I dont think this is a good idea, as i would be afraid it would result in resentment on your husbands part, but I've heard it worked for others. As long as he's smoking, make him brush his teeth before he kisses you. Tell him his mouth tastes like an ash tray and you wont kiss him as long as it tastes like that. Thats how several of my guy friends have quit smoking. Of course, they light up the minute they're away from their girlfriends for a few days.

Answer 5

If he is motivated for health reasons, find materials that show pictures of smokers' lungs, the correlation between smoking and disease, and the benefits of quitting.

Benefits:
1. Lungs can recover.
2. Better breath, whiter teeth.
3. Collagen production will no longer be slowed down. Fewer wrinkles.
4. No more yellow nails.
5. Better chance at longevity.
6. Less chance of having ED in old age.

If he's motivated by the peripheral benefits of quitting:

1. Tally up the cost of his habit - how much he spends on cigarettes and how much of that goes to taxes. Perhaps, seeing how much money he could save will be a concrete motivator.

2. The difference in life insurance premiums for non-smokers vs. smokers.

3. Political reasons. Watch "Thank You for Smoking" & "The Insider." The first movie is a look at the power of lobbyists and the second movie looks at the life of a whistle blower who worked for a tobacco company.

Encourage him to pursue interests that will reinforce the need to stop smoking. Things like cycling, swimming, martial arts, running. Also, see # 6 above. : )

Also, consider other ways to reduce stress since quitting can be hard. (ex. meditation, support groups, acupuncture, acupressure, massage)

Focus on the positive things - love of his family, the satisfaction of loosing a bad habit, better health.

Get your family physician on board. He or she can suggest alternatives to the nicotine patch.

Check out the American Lung Association's website for more information.

http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=22542

Answer 6

I would research the dangers of smoking and nicely tell him. I have lost several family members who developed lung cancer who have died. Tell him how much you love him and that you dont want him to have to suffer later in life. I have seen that smoking negatively effects a person tremendously!! I also have family members who quit smoking and they feel so much better. Ask a doctor what would be something he could use instead the patch that caused itching.

Answer 7

I think it would be a good sign to your husband if you give up something yourself. For example, a bad habit you might have. This would be a sign to him that you're with him through this.

Answer 8

My redhead's a former smoker. Now, I am, too.

If he cares enough for you, he'll quit.

Answer 9

Tell him he gets sex if he doesnt smoke that day. XD

Answer 10

TELL HIM ,THAT HE WILL AGE FASTER AND LOSE HIS ABILITY TO PERFORM SEXUALLY PLUS LOSE HIS TRAIN OF THINKING TOO , IT CAN CAUSE DETERIORATION OF THE BRAIN CELLS