After all the effort, anxiety, and irritation of quitting smoking, what then? What is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? This part of the smoking cessation process probably never made it to the quitter’s checklist. Once a person has given up tobacco, they find themselves living in a smoke-free world that probably is noticeably different than the one they knew.

For instance, at work there no longer is a reason to “step outside for a cigarette.” That means not seeing or getting to talk to your friends as often. In some cases, it might mean meeting different friends, say around the coffee machine instead of out on the “smoker’s porch.” It also might mean that you no longer enjoy going to the same places or doing the same leisure activities.

No Smoking

Increasingly in modern society, major efforts are being made worldwide to eliminate smoking. Since 1964 the U.S. Surgeon General’s annual report on health has consistently, and more intensely, hammered away on the dangers of smoking. It is now forbidden to smoke in federal government buildings. Most state governments have joined suit, making it illegal to smoke in most public buildings, such as shopping malls.

This trend has struck close to home for the tobacco industry. Durham, North Carolina, home of several cigarette factories and once called the “City of Tobacco” before it changed it nickname to “City of Medicine,” has banned smoking in public places. The change is global. Smoking also has been banned in English pubs. Therefore, someone who has quit smoking can find plenty of places to avoid smoke-filled air.

Old Haunts

For some that might not be so easy. Although many American towns and cities do prohibit smoking in public places, even bars and pool halls, many of these establishments simply ignore the rules. Realizing the conundrum involved in trying to take the “smoke” out of “smoky bars,” municipalities do not enforce the rules. So if someone works in one of these places or frequents them, changes might have to be made.

Not only can this affect where one goes, it can also mean changes in who you associate with. The Sunday afternoon get together for the football game or the weekly poker night might cause too many cravings and temptations to resist. For someone serious about quitting smoking but unable to resist in these familiar surroundings, it can mean big changes.

Planning

As with all aspects of a smoking cessation effort, experts urge quitters to plan ahead. Make sure your friends know you are trying to quit and enlist their aid in helping you avoid these temptations. Unless they are tobacco activists, and if they really are friends, they should be willing to at least meet you part way.

Also, if one has to give up certain activities because of smoking, they can be replaced with other. For one, a person can trade indoor activities for outdoor ones. At least until cigarette cravings are in the distant past, plan on frequenting as many smoke-free places as possible.

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