...You need a lot of time and patience, especially depending on how long the person's been smoking. My boyfriend's been smoking since he was about 9 years old, and I've wanted him to quit smoking for more than a year now. I don't think you can really convince someone to quit smoking. I think you have to tell him/her you'd like him/her to quit smoking. Then he/she has to decide whether he/she wants to or not. Let him/her know that you're there for him/her. Let him/her know you're understanding and willing to help in any way you can. Don't push it. It will take time. Don't be upset if he/she has trouble quitting- he/she most likely will. DON'T get upset if he/she has a relapse. Always make sure to be as understanding and patient as possible.

My dad smoked for a long while until i finally got him to quit. How? Well, we made a deal out of it. My dad really wanted me to do well in school and i really wanted him to quit smoking. So we made a deal. I held up my end and he held up his. This may or may not work for you. If not, i have also found Dr. Phil's tips on quitting any addiction helpful....http://www.drphil.com/advice/advice.jhtml?contentId=3076_sevensteps.xml&section=Health&subsection=Mind%20and%20Body Good Luck!

Show them pictures and vidoes of people who have suffered the consequences of smoking. Trust me, the videos and pictures of the consequences are horrifying.

If someone loves you they will quit smoking for you. you should not beg and pleed them to stop. everyone in this world controls thier actions and what they want to do.

Bottom line is that you can't. Only they can convince themselves to quit smoking. Doesn't mean you can't give them a bit of help- here is my advice as an ex-smoker: First point is do not - really DO NOT- keep going on and on about the damage they're doing to their health. Its not like no-one ever told them that before. Its not as simple as that- since when did anyone stop doing something just because it was bad for them? Following on from that point, its a good idea not to go on and on about how you want them to stop every day. Its human nature that the more someone tells us not to do something the more we want to do it as an act of defiance. Don't ever resort to emotional blackmail (i.e "If you loved me you'd stop") not only is it unfair and manipulative, its blatantly not that easy to kick an addiction. You need to be far more subtle than that, and put the emphasis on support, rather than persuasion. First of all, ask them not to smoke in the house, or indoors when you are present as you don't want to be exposed to passive smoking. No-one can dispute the fairness of this. Not only will it cut down their smoking in general by sheer reduction in oppurtunity, but it will highlight the unsociability of the habit and make an association in their mind, that you and smoking are mutually exclusive activities. Secondly you might want to go for the money angle. This is the one that finally persuaded me. Work out how much they spend on cigarettes in a week and what else that could pay for (pick something they'd actually want) - make a casual suggestion that if they quit for a week they could have such-and-such. If they really wanted to they could always go back to smoking after the weeks up anyway (but once they've seen and felt the affects of the week off, the chances of them wanting to give up are far higher) Don't push the decision on them, just point it out and make a gentle suggestion every now and then. Keep them busy. GO on lots of outings and activities that don't revolve around smoking or people who smoke, or smoky areas. Sports and walks are good. Or activities involving kids. This will reduce the association of smoking with social activities, and distract them from the urge if they are trying to give up. Give them time, don't pester or guilt trip. Smoking is an addiction that takes work to get over- its not like you can suddenly decide to quit and just do it.

You can't convince them! Smoking is an addiction and the smoker is the only one to do the quitting. What you can do is love them no matter what. In the case of drinking you'd have to separate yourself from the danger of violence but the harmful effects of smoking (second-hand) have been seriously overrated. Try to stop alcohol sales and you'd have a war! We are constantly bombarded with pollutants and smoking is actually a minor one. The big industrial polluters should catch your attention but don't buy into the hype of second-hand smoke. Be glad it is smoking because there are many things much worse for health. I'd rather be with a smoker who loves me than a non-smoker addicted to crime, illegal drugs, alcohol or worse. This won't be a popular answer but it is my opinion and the rights of smokers should be heard. Smokers are victims of everyone's anger at the moment. Next decade or century it will be something different. Smoking is LEGAL. Too much sugar and fat promote diabetes and obesity but we all still eat. Fast drivers especially drunk drivers cause accidents that kill but we all still drive and we don't try to stop alcohol sales. There are many things in excess that cause health problems but none have caused people to turn militant as is the case with smoking.

I lost someone I loved to smoking and my Ex still smokes - but he really doesn't give a damn about quitting.- plus his mama smoke so you know what they say like mama like son

You can't. They need to make that decision on their own.

Sorry, you cannot. Even some people with lung cancer persist in smoking. Nicotine is an extremely addictive drug, and one that is nearly impossible to quit because it is available everywhere.

You can't. When and if they realize how harmful it can be or has already been to their health, they will quit. Even people who have had heart attacks and lung surgery smoke again. Sometimes it is a manifestation of a death wish. To try to make them quit is a waste of words and energy.

people have their own will, you should not try to control them

it's so hard to get people to quit smoking... my grandpa died in September from lung cancer due to smoking and my parents still smoke even though he died slowly and painfully. It didn't work for them, but face them with some reality that smoking kills so many people and it would be so easy for them to just become a statistic and how much you're worried about them and how much their smoking affects you, especially if they should become sick.

You can't. They have to want to do it for themselves. Even with self-motivation it is very difficult. If your loved one wants to stop please have him see a doctor who specializes in smoking cessation for best results.

Just show them this: (Note the sources listed for each fact) When Smokers Quit—The Health Benefits Over Time 20 minutes after quitting: Your heart rate and blood pressure drops. ("Effect of Smoking on Arterial Stiffness and Pulse Pressure Amplification", Mahmud, A, Feely, J. 2003. Hypertension:41:183.) 12 hours after quitting: The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal. (US Surgeon General's Report, 1988 , p. 202) 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: Your circulation improves and your lung function increases. (US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, pp.193, 194,196, 285, 323) 1 to 9 months after quitting: Coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection. (US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, pp. 285-287, 304) 1 year after quitting: The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker's. (US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, p. vi) 5 years after quitting: Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5 to 15 years after quitting. (US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, p. vi) 10 years after quitting: The lung cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing smoker's. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix, and pancreas decrease. (US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, pp. vi, 131, 148, 152, 155, 164,166) 15 years after quitting: The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker's. (US Surgeon General's Report, 1990, p. vi) When you quit smoking, you get your life back, and your family gets to keep you longer. Why not quit?

If the person is unwilling to change, there is nothing you can really do until they are ready to stop. However, understanding the steps to behavior change can help you to help them once they are ready. There are several things you can do to help someone quit smoking. No matter what you do, encourage them at every step along the way. Encouragement and personal support, according to the CDC, makes a smoker 50 percent more likely to succeed. How should you encourage them? Follow the Trans theoretical Model of Change (Prochaska, DiClemente, & Norcross, 1992). Knowing where your smoking peers or family are can help you provide pointed encouragement. Understand behavior change: Behavior change happens over six stages, and your goal is to help them move into the next phase--except for stage 6: 1) Precontemplation - In this stage, a person doesn't think anything is wrong with his behavior. (Encourage them to think about it). 2) Contemplation - Acknowledge that a problem exists. (Encourage them to consider options that exist to change their behavior). 3) Preparation - There is at least a loose commitment to change. (Encourage them by repeating their stated goals. Tell them you believe they can do it. Offer to assist them if necessary). 4) Action - They are taking action to change their behavior. (Cheer them on as they accomplish their goals. Tell them how good they're doing and be available for them). 5) Maintenance - The behavior has changed to their goal behavior. Some stay here permanently. (Check in periodically to see how their doing. Keep poisonous behaviors and triggers at bay). 6) Relapse or Lapse - They return to their old behavior fully or partially. (Help them focus on what they've accomplished, not their failures. Talk about how next time can be different). For more information on helping someone quit smoking, visit http://www.WeDidItStory.com. It's a nonprofit site dedicated to helping non-smokers (and smokers) help in the fight against tobacco.

I started smoking at 10 yrs old because the rest of my family did it. Then when I hit 30 I promised myself that I would give up by the time I'm 40 and starting experimenting with different quitting methods (Patches, Gum, Paul McKenna, Alan Carr and so on. It was a long term plan and no single quitting method worked. In the end it was a combination of several. I eventually stopped 5.5yrs ago after a course of acupuncture but it wasn't the needles. I was ready to give up and I stopped smoking as soon as I came out of the first session. The acupuncture was just a way of closing a door behind me on that part of my life. It cost £135 plus the extra money for the pills they give you as part of the course. I have never looked back. I am now in my 43rd year and I have no cravings at all. I didn't want to look old. My first marriage had failed and I knew I wanted to attract another female partner. The person I actually got together with was and still is a smoker. She has promised yet again to give up at the end of the summer. Our two young children and I will support her whatever although my children struggle to understand even though I have explained the situation to then on several occasions. Even with all my experience I still have no idea how to get her to stop. She is stubborn. Every time it comes up she starts building that brick wall again. So I now just leave her to it but have said I am there if she needs me. I even wrote her a cheque out for £1500 at one point. I dated it for 12 months time and told her she could cash it in and spend it on what ever she wanted to if she stopped that day. She cut down but then went back during and after the two children were born. Nothing will stop a smoker except the smoker themselves. I sincerely wish anyone who is now considering themselves to be a Non Smoker, good luck and all the very best for the future. I promise, there is light at the end of the tunnel!

tell them how much fun you'll have with the insurance money.

my mom and my best friend are heavy smokers. i wish they would quit, but they say they can't. my best friend stopped smoking for three months and then started again. she's now on oxygen 24 hours a day and still is a heavy smoker.they both know what smoking does to the body; but there's nothing i can do to get them to stop for good. they have to want to do it themselves!

i found out that my mum had started smoking again after i has suspicions that she was smoking because her boyfriend was. when i confronted her about it she told me she had satrted again at xmas ( i have already persuaded her to give up once a few years ago). i do not believe her, i think she has started since her boyfriend came to stay with us.she has told me that she doesnt like smoking. so why does she do it then? she says shes not addicted and she has found it easy to give up before.i have counted the packets i have found and these have added up to about 110 cigs in a week! i am very disgusted by this and get upset thinking about her smoking! i am only 14 and i dont ant to lose her! i love her so much but she hates me asking her to quit so i gave up asking her. she now smokes infront of me but i hate it, i act like i do not have a problem with it just to make her happy! please can someone help me i dont know what to do!!??

You can't. I've only been smoking for six years, but my mother has begged me to quit since day one. My boyfriend smokes more than me, but started after me. We recently discussed quitting, and the idea terrifies me. The point is, only the smoker can make that decision. Pressure from outsiders translates to the smoker as yet another form of stress (which smoking relieves). Whenever someone lectures me on quitting, all I can think about is how much I would love a cigarette. I am thinking about quitting, though...it costs so much money.

i found out that my mum had started smoking again after i has suspicions that she was smoking because her boyfriend was. when i confronted her about it she told me she had satrted again at xmas ( i have already persuaded her to give up once a few years ago). i do not believe her, i think she has started since her boyfriend came to stay with us.she has told me that she doesnt like smoking. so why does she do it then? she says shes not addicted and she has found it easy to give up before.i have counted the packets i have found and these have added up to about 110 cigs in a week! i am very disgusted by this and get upset thinking about her smoking! i am only 14 and i dont ant to lose her! i love her so much but she hates me asking her to quit so i gave up asking her. she now smokes infront of me but i hate it, i act like i do not have a problem with it just to make her happy! please can someone help me i dont know what to do!!??

Here's another aspect. I've lied about quiting before to my loved ones. My boyfriend broke up with me for lieing and still doing it. He says he can't be with a smoker. Since that day it's been two weeks that I've smoked and still with him but everytime he asks if I have smoked while I'm out at work I tell him that I haven't and there is no reason to believe me but that fact that he doesn't believe me...that right there is tempting to just say whatever and smoke again even though I love him and want to be with him. How do you convince someone you quit?

Don't kiss him again until he does! [worked for me once!] ;-)

You can't. I have been trying for fifteen years with my wife. She quits for a month or two and then goes right back to it again. She has tried everything too, but still can not quit. She claims it is her stress reliever.

Smoking is bad for your lungs. You need good lungs to exercise. Bedroom and beyond.