Quitting Tobacco & Nicotine

Kick It California can help you quit using tobacco & nicotine. Whether you’re using one product or multiple. Our Quit Coaches are highly trained to personalize a quit plan to your specific needs.


You Can Quit. We Can Help.

Quitting nicotine and tobacco brings immediate and long-term benefits. You’ll breathe easier, have more energy, and reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, and respiratory issues. Quitting also sharpens your senses, improves your appearance, and boosts self-esteem.

Kick It California offers FREE support from trained Quit Coaches who can help create a personalized quit plan and offer encouragement every step of the way.

How Our Quit Coaching Works

1. Connect with a Coach

CallChat or Complete our web form. We’ll ask you a few questions about your situation. What you share will be private.

2. Create a Quit Plan

A Quit Coach will work with you to craft a personal Quit Plan using proven strategies. Listen to a coaching call.

3. Quit for Good

A Quit Coach will check in with you at key points, to help you stay motivated and increase your chances of kicking nicotine. What to expect after you quit.

How Tobacco & Nicotine Impact Your Body & Health 

Within a few days, you will see health benefits.

Quitting can be tough. The first week can be especially difficult. Thankfully, the benefits start piling up quickly. And this can give you the motivation you need to keep going.

After you stop

Within 20 minutes

Heart rate and blood pressure drop. Temperature of hands and feet go up. Your lung function begins to improve.

Within 24 hours

Carbon monoxide levels in blood drop. Oxygen levels in blood rises to normal. Chance of heart attack goes down.

Within 72 hours

Nicotine is out of the body. Smell and taste start to improve. Damaged nerve endings start to re-grow.

Common Questions When People Quit

What should I expect when I quit?

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– Difficulty being around smokers
– Good days and bad days
– Withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability
– Being able to breathe better
– Situations that challenge your motivation to keep going
– Cravings that are strong at first, but weaker with time
– A growing sense of accomplishment

What will I do without cigarettes, vapes or smokeless tobacco?

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It’s true, they won’t be there when you quit. Using new ways to cope with stress, restlessness, boredom, and other trigger situations is the key. Find something fulfilling to do, such as a hobby you enjoy, to help ease you into your new lifestyle.

Before you quit, think about what typically triggers you to smoke, vape, or chew, and identify healthier things to do instead. Planning ahead will set you up for success.

Get more information on planning and coping strategies others have used.

Quit Smoking Guide

Quit Vaping Guide

Quit Smokeless Guide

How can I manage withdrawals?

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When you quit, you may have withdrawal symptoms that affect your mind (cravings, irritability, anxiety, low mood, difficulty concentrating), and body (headache, tiredness, low energy, hunger, cough, dizziness, trouble sleeping).

If you quit cold turkey, nicotine is typically out of the body in 3 days. Withdrawals may be strong at first, but will weaken over time. Symptoms may last 2–4 weeks. If you are worried about withdrawals, consider using a quit aid.

Quit aids are tools that make it easier to quit. The FDA has approved two types: nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) & non-nicotine pills for quitting smoking, but not for quitting vapes or smokeless tobacco. More research is needed. That’s why it’s important to talk with your doctor about quit aids.

Will I gain a lot of weight after I quit?

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Generally, no. In fact, many people stay the same and some even lose weight. For those who gain weight, the average is about 10 lbs. People who quit vapes or smokeless tobacco could have similar experiences. Planning can prevent weight gain by upping the activity in your life, with hobbies and exercise. Also, stock up on healthy snacks or gum prior to quitting.

The last time I quit I was not nice to be around. How do I avoid that?

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When you take nicotine away, the brain doesn’t get the neurotransmitter activity it’s used to. This causes discomfort. For some, it results in irritability, sadness, depression, and other withdrawal symptoms.

By the end of the first week or two, you should feel less irritated. Just as the brain learns to respond to nicotine, it can learn to respond to different cues—it can learn other ways to make you feel good without addiction and dependency. For some, this means eating healthy meals, meditating, listening to music, or getting more physically active.

Check out these guided audio-video exercises to help you through.

Breathing Exercises: These exercises will guide you through focused breathing to help you cope with stress.

Guided Imagery: These exercises will guide you through visualizations to re-focus yourself when you have overwhelming and/or upsetting emotions.

The last time I tried to quit, I failed. How do I get past that?

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Most people try several times before quitting for good. Think of your other attempts as “practice” for the real thing. Then think of things that have helped, and the things that didn’t. Your experience gives you an edge. It makes you more likely to quit for good this time. Also, consider a quit program to support you.

Kick It California is a free service with Quit Coaches who are trained to help you think through concepts, like motivation and planning, to set you up for success. You can double your chances of quitting with help from a Quit Coach. Listen to a sample call.

Get Free Quit Coaching: Monday-Friday 7am-9pm & Saturday 9am-5pm
Chat: kickitca.org/chat
Call: 1-800-300-8086

Is just cutting down enough?

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Cutting down can be a good way to build your confidence while slowly reducing your nicotine intake. But if you want to quit completely, you need to set a Quit Date and stick to it. Otherwise, it can be very difficult to give up those last few cigarettes.

Set a quit date and quit on that date. Doing both will:
– Up your commitment to take action.
– Focus your motivation on a single goal.
– Help you learn more about how you take on a challenge.
– Increase your chance of quitting.

Should I quit using multiple products one at a time or together?

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If you are ready to quit smoking and vaping, here are some tips to get you going:

Decide if you will quit one at a time or both together.

Some people choose to deal with the discomfort of quitting all at once and be done with it. Others prefer to quit one first and get their footing before tackling the next.

Make a pros and cons list.

What would be good about quitting both? What would not be good about quitting both? Answering these questions will help you see which way you are leaning.

Pick your top reasons for quitting.

These reasons can help you quit — once and for all.

Track your use.

When do you smoke? When do you vape? When you know your triggers, you can plan how to get past them without using.

Plan strategies for dealing with triggers.

Check out all the options on this app for dealing with urges to smoke and vape.

Set a quit date.

This gives you something to work toward. And it increases the chance that you will make a change.

Do vapes help people quit smoking?

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Vapes may help some people quit smoking, the way quit aids like nicotine patches can. However, it’s hotly debated whether vapes should be available at all, especially with the risk they pose to teens. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved them as a quit aid. 


If you‘re using vapes to help you quit smoking, consider working towards quitting vaping eventually as well.  

Additional Quit Resources

Cigarettes

Smoking is a habit that often fills a need, so you may have mixed feelings about quitting. Whether you’ve tried many times to quit or you’re just thinking about it for the first time, we’ll help you build a plan that will work for your life.

Vapes

Quitting vapes can be hard. You can be physically addicted to nicotine and emotionally tied to the device. For young people, there can also be social pressure to vape. We help people of all ages overcome their specific challenges.

Smokeless Tobacco & Nicotine

Using smokeless tobacco, nicotine pouches, and other oral nicotine products can lead to high levels of nicotine dependence, making it very hard to quit. Whatever product you use, we can help you.

Kick It: Quit Smoking | Vaping App

Free, customizable quit plan, progress tracker, and craving help to quit smoking or vaping. Access clinically proven behavior change strategies -- kick tobacco & nicotine for good.

Download Now

Crush your cravings, play a game.

Playing a video game can help reduce cravings because it requires your full attention.

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Major funding provided by the California Department of Public Health & First 5 California.Copyright © 2023. The Regents of the University of California. All Rights Reserved.
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Major funding provided by the California Department of Public Health & First 5 California.
Copyright © 2023. The Regents of the University of California. All Rights Reserved.