Quitters who get support from family and friends have an easier time stopping smoking and staying quit.

It's not too early to build your support system. One quitting expert, Dr. Tom Ferguson, recommends that you list the most important people in your life - your spouse, your closest family members, friends, and co-workers. List a few ex-smokers who you think might be extra helpful. If you live alone, think of the people you see or talk to most often - neighbors, co-workers, and people in your religous or community groups.

Then, give each person a score from one to ten, with ten meaning that the person will support your quitting.

Here's one quitter's list:
Joan (wife) .......................................	10
Ned (brother)....................................	9
Bob (son, smokes)..........................	2
Martin (friend, ex-smoker)..............	10
Carol (secretary, smokes)..............	3
Jeff (friend at work).........................	8
Hal (co-worker, smokes).................	1
Julia (sister-in-law, ex-smoker).......	8
Sheldon (brother-in-law).................	4

Getting Support

Talk to the people on your support team before you quit. Let them know that you'll be grateful for their help and moral support. Be specific about ways they can help. Only you know what kind of support will be best for you. Here are some ideas from other quitters.

"In human relationships, closeness and warmth only occur when we ask about one another...when we seek to know how we can help one another. Until we ask,we can never know." - Bernard S. Raskas

Warn them that you may not be your usual wonderful self for a few weeks after you quit. Ask them to be patient.

Ask them if they'll be on hand to listen and encourage you when the going gets rough.

Suggest ways that can help cut down on stress in your life, or make it easier to quit, like:

• joining you for a walk,
• adding to your supply of cigarette subsitutes,
• fixing a favorite meal or inviting you out for lunch or dinner(in the nonsmoking section!),
• helping you to change routines to cut down on the temptation to smoke, like joining you for an after dinner walk instead of staying at the table,
• helping you find ways to keep busy,
• praising or celebrating your progress
• telling you that things will get easier!
• taking your mind off smoking with a movie, and
• asking how you're doing and letting you know they care.

You may also want to suggest ways they can keep from getting in your way, like:

• not doubting that you can quit or stay quit,
• never offering you a cigarette or even suggesting in a joking way that you back to smoking, and
• not being critical of your smoking or your efforts to quit.