# Ask for support with smoking

Published by Pawel Jozefiak. [About this project](https://adhd100.jock.pl/about/), [How we check sources](https://adhd100.jock.pl/methodology/)

- Canonical: https://adhd100.jock.pl/smoking-support-review/
- Language: en
- First published: 2026-09-29
- Evidence checked: 2026-09-29, using AI-assisted source verification
- Clinical review: Not clinically reviewed
- Number 16 of 100 in the list: https://adhd100.jock.pl/#smoking-support-review

Plan a supported quit conversation that takes your ADHD and past attempts into account.

**The number:** Quitting smoking can add up to 10 years to life expectancy ([CDC, 2024](https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/about/benefits-of-quitting.html))

## The evidence

- How sure: Certainty of evidence: Not rated. Measured in the general population; we say so because ADHD trials of this do not exist or are too small.
- Evidence grade: B. Grade B: trials in ADHD with low certainty, or strong general health evidence with a sourced reason it matters more with ADHD.
- Basis: CDC smoking-cessation evidence and guidance with ADHD smoking-risk reviews; no source-specific GRADE rating for this action.
- Outcome: potential life-expectancy gain, up to this amount
- Comparison: quitting smoking vs continuing
- Benefit: 75/100. The benefit score is an editorial prioritization for the general list, weighted by certainty. It is not a prediction of what will happen for you.

## Why it matters

In the general population, stopping smoking cuts cardiovascular, lung and cancer risks, and CDC reports it can add up to 10 years to life expectancy. ADHD is associated with more smoking and substance-related problems, so support that's easy to reach matters more. Counselling and medication together are effective general quit support, with your own choices made together with a clinician.

## How to do it

1. Tell a clinician or stop-smoking adviser about your smoking and past quit attempts.
2. Say when cravings hit hardest and what made earlier attempts hard.
3. Ask which support and treatments suit your health, your medicines and what you prefer.

## Talk to a clinician first

Ask a clinician or pharmacist to go through treatment options and your medicines with you, including if you are pregnant.

## Putting it into practice

### Start now

- 1 minute: Name the smoking moment you'd most want help with.
- 5 minutes: List your strongest cravings, previous attempts and questions for an adviser.
- 15 minutes: Find a local stop-smoking service or ask your clinician for a support appointment.

### What it looks like

- Tell an adviser that remembering a complex plan was difficult during your previous attempt.
- Ask for a clear plan for cravings and a way to get follow-up support.

### Common mistakes

- Calling a past attempt a failure can put you off getting support. Bring what you learned from it.
- Guessing at a quit-smoking medicine can miss safety issues. Go through the options with a professional.

### Trusted how-to guides

- [How to Quit Smoking](https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/about/how-to-quit.html), CDC

## Sources

- [Benefits of Quitting Smoking](https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/about/benefits-of-quitting.html), CDC, 2024 (Tier 1 guideline)
- [How to Quit Smoking](https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/about/how-to-quit.html), CDC, 2024 (Tier 1 guideline)
- [The impacts associated with having ADHD: an umbrella review](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1343314/full), Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2024 (Tier 2 study)

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General information about ADHD, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan. Tailoring changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess you. Medication decisions belong with you and a qualified clinician.

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