Why do I feel like I "need" to smoke?

Smokers use tobacco to fill many different "needs." Studies show that most people smoke for one or more of these six reasons:

• Smoking gives me more energy.
• I like to touch and handle cigarettes.
• Smoking is a pleasure.
• Smoking helps me relax when I'm tense or upset.
• I crave cigarettes; smoking is an addiction.
• Smoking is a habit.

Understanding the reasons why you smoke, and how you can meet those needs in other ways, is a key step in quitting. For tips on how to satisfy each of the above needs without tobacco, call the Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER and ask for a free copy of "Why Do You Smoke?"

The Cancer Information Service also can help you quit tobacco with one-on-one assistance from specially trained information specialists. In addition to helping you understand why you smoke, CIS specialists can help you learn how quitting will improve your health, discover different ways to quit, develop an action plan, know what to expect when you quit, and deal with temporary setbacks.

Call 1-800-4-CANCER and select option 3 for this free assistance.

choose back button for more from this category, or below for CIS index