Tips for Going Out When You’re Trying Not to Smoke

Going out can be challenging if you are trying not to smoke. Whether you are trying to quit, trying to smoke less, or have already stopped smoking, going out to socialize can often trigger an urge to smoke. In order to stick to your smoking cessation goals, it is important to find ways to cope with these urges, even if you are in social situations or settings that increase your cravings.

It can be particularly hard when you are going out with friends who still smoke. Doing things that you used to enjoy when you smoked, such as going out for drinks, can also make you crave a cigarette. Giving up smoking is hard from a physical withdrawal standpoint, but kicking the social habit makes the process that much more difficult.

Fortunately, you don’t need to give up your social relationships in order to quit smoking. By having a “quitting toolbox” to turn to when you feel the urge, you’ll be able to maintain an active social life without giving up on your goals.

How to Quit Smoking

Know Your Triggers

Understanding the things thattrigger your urge to smokecan be helpful when you are planning to go out. Triggers can be:

In many cases, multiple factors can play a role in triggering a cigarette craving. Knowing that you are likely to feel an urge, however, means you can plan for it.

Don’t Put a Halt on Your Social Life

Keep socializing. Doing things with friends and staying socially active is actually a good way to keep your mind off the urge to smoke. If you start restricting your social life because you are afraid you’ll feel an urge to smoke, it might make those social situations more intimidating in the future.

Try Something New

It’s important to understand when the urge to smoke might strike so that you can be prepared. Think about some of the places, situations, and times when you typically smoke. When you are first trying to give up smoking or have recently quit, it can be helpful to alter your usual routine.

Don’t Rely on Willpower Alone

Prepare for Tricky Situations

If a lot of your friends are smokers, consider inviting some non-smoking friends along. You might also want to excuse yourself for a brief moment if people around you are lighting up. Take a moment to regroup and temporarily avoid the temptation so that you can stay on the path to success.

Health Benefits at Two Weeks After You Quit Smoking

Watch Your Alcohol Intake

Alcohol can often act as a trigger that brings on an urge to smoke. Even if you’ve been doing well at kicking the smoking habit, social drinking can bring on a sudden urge to have a cigarette. This can be particularly true if you are normally a social smoker, or you tend to smoke mostly in social situations.

The Association Between Smoking and Drinking

Excessive alcohol can lower your inhibitions and self-control, making it more likely that you’ll give in to the urge to smoke. If you do go to a social setting where you will be consuming alcohol, try to stick to just a drink or two.

Some things you might also try:

Social smoking poses the same health risks as regular smoking, including cancer and heart disease. Research suggests that social smoking may also progress to regular use.

Don’t Take On Too Much

Changes in your normal routines and habits can help you avoid smoking, but too many sudden and dramatic changes can make it harder to stick to your goals. Changing your routines and avoiding your triggers is important (especially when you first quit), but that doesn’t mean you should turn your whole life upside down. All of the things you used to do as a smoker you can still enjoy as a non-smoker.

Once the worst of yourwithdrawal symptomsbegin to fade, you can begin returning to some of your regular routines as you learn to better manage a smoke-free lifestyle.

Enlist Help

Let your friends and family know about your smoking cessation goals. Ask them to avoid lighting up around you. In some cases, this might involve your friends going outside to smoke. It is important to remember that while you can ask other people to avoid smoking around you, it doesn’t mean that they will honor your request. In some instances, you might simply have to remove yourself from the situation instead.

Keeping visual reminders out of sight, including packs of cigarettes, ashtrays, or e-cigarettes, can also be helpful.

You can also ask for support from your non-smoking friends. When an urge to smoke strikes, let one of your friends know. They can offer support, encouragement, and even distractions that can help you fight off your cravings.

Team up with friends who are also trying to quit smoking. Not only can you support each other’s efforts, but you can also plan smoke-free social activities that you can all enjoy.

Host a Non-Smoking EventIf spending time in the places where you used to smoke is still a struggle, consider hosting your own social event. This can be a great way to control the situation and avoid many of the triggers that often lead to cravings.

Host a Non-Smoking Event

If spending time in the places where you used to smoke is still a struggle, consider hosting your own social event. This can be a great way to control the situation and avoid many of the triggers that often lead to cravings.

Have a Plan

When you go out and the urge to smoke does strike, try some of the following steps to deal with the craving:

If you are struggling to stick with it, talk to your doctor about your options. Using anicotine replacement therapymight be helpful.

A Word From Verywell

Going out when you are trying not to smoke can present some challenges, but it doesn’t mean that you need to give up your social life when you going smoke-free. Remember to practice good self-care including getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, and using relaxation strategies that will help you feel better when you are trying to quit.

How to Overcome Smoking Urges in Just 5 Minutes

3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Cancer Society.Quitting smoking: help for cravings and tough situations.National Cancer Institute.How to handle withdrawal symptoms and triggers when you decide to quit smoking.Villanti AC, Johnson AL, Rath JM, et al.Identifying “social smoking” U.S. young adults using an empirically-driven approach.Addict Behav. 2017;70:83–89. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.02.004

3 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Cancer Society.Quitting smoking: help for cravings and tough situations.National Cancer Institute.How to handle withdrawal symptoms and triggers when you decide to quit smoking.Villanti AC, Johnson AL, Rath JM, et al.Identifying “social smoking” U.S. young adults using an empirically-driven approach.Addict Behav. 2017;70:83–89. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.02.004

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

American Cancer Society.Quitting smoking: help for cravings and tough situations.National Cancer Institute.How to handle withdrawal symptoms and triggers when you decide to quit smoking.Villanti AC, Johnson AL, Rath JM, et al.Identifying “social smoking” U.S. young adults using an empirically-driven approach.Addict Behav. 2017;70:83–89. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.02.004

American Cancer Society.Quitting smoking: help for cravings and tough situations.

National Cancer Institute.How to handle withdrawal symptoms and triggers when you decide to quit smoking.

Villanti AC, Johnson AL, Rath JM, et al.Identifying “social smoking” U.S. young adults using an empirically-driven approach.Addict Behav. 2017;70:83–89. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.02.004

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