I want to quit smoking, but I'm afraid of the cravings I will have. How could I handle them?

Nicotine cravings usually begin within an hour or two after you stop smoking. They may last for several days but will become weaker over time. You may continue to have mild cravings occasionally during the first six months.

The good news is that even a very strong craving lasts only about a minute. It will pass! Here are some things to do when you feel a craving:

• Put something in your mouth. Try chewing on carrot sticks, pickles, sunflower seeds, apples, sugarless gum, or sugarless hard candy. Drink a glass of water.

• Move around. Take a walk or wash your hands. Light incense or a candle instead of a cigarette.

• Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth. Do this 10 times. Hold the last inhale and light a match. As you exhale slowly, blow out the match and crush it in an ashtray.

Many people find that nicotine replacement products (patches, gum, lozenges, nasal spray and inhaler) really help. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist about whether this is right for you. Research shows that people who use nicotine products do better at quitting then people who don't.

Also, the antidepressant buproprion, which does not contain nicotine, helps relieve withdrawal symptoms.

For one-on-one help with quitting, call the National Cancer Institute's Smoking Quitline toll-free at 1-877-448-7848. Ask for a free copy of "Clearing the Air: Quit Smoking Today," an NCI publication that provides tips on quitting. For quitting information online, go to www.smokefree.gov.

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