About the Smokers Anonymous 12-Step Recovery Program

Topics On This Page

“The group focuses on using a 12-step recovery program, which is a spiritual approach to overcoming the addiction and a general approach to living.”
Smokers Anonymous is usually referred to as Nicotine Anonymous. The nonprofit organization is composed of a group of individuals who have suffered from or been affected by a nicotine addiction. Groups of men and women meet regularly to help support one another in their journey to live a life free from nicotine addiction, and membership is free. The group focuses on using a 12-step recovery program, which is a spiritual approach to overcoming the addiction and a general approach to living.

The 12-Step Program of Smokers Anonymous

Each member of Smokers Anonymous is encouraged to practice the 12-steps daily. The steps help the addict acknowledge a higher power who can assist in recovery only if one asks. Individuals who begin to practice the 12 steps say they can feel an attitude shift and begin to see and appreciate the miracles around them. According to Nicotine Anonymous, the 12 steps were adapted from the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step program. Those who are new to the support group are encouraged to get a copy of the steps and study them. The steps provide a path to self-discovery and a better quality of life.

Give us a call anytime 24/7

You are never too old to improve your health and quality of life!

1-877-838-9754 Who Answers?

What are The 12 Steps?

Nicotine Anonymous encourages its members to take recovery one day at a time. The 12 steps help provide direction during recovery process. These steps include:

Signs & Symptoms of Nicotine Addiction

 According to the US Surgeon General, nicotine is one of the most powerfully addictive drugs in common use. Over 13,000 people die every day from tobacco use, and approximately 65,000 deaths occur each year from secondhand smoke. Many health problems have been linked to tobacco use, including heart attacks, cancer and emphysema. Some of the symptoms of nicotine addiction are the inability to quit, going to the store late at night to purchase cigarettes, keeping extra packs to avoid running out of your supply, and continuing to smoke in spite of health risks.

How to Quit Smoking

“Acknowledge the fact that it will take an effort to stop smoking and stick to it.”

According to the CDC, nearly 70 percent of all smokers have the desire to quit. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers tips you can follow to assist you in beating your addiction. The first step is to stop buying cigarettes. You can’t smoke them if you don’t buy them in the first place, and recognize that each cigarette you smoke damages your heart, lungs, blood vessels and cells in your body. Write down all the reasons you want to quit and refer to that list when you feel like lighting up. Acknowledge the fact that it will take an effort to stop smoking and stick to it. Get help from your physician or one of the many organizations that offer addiction rehab and treatment, like Nicotine Anonymous.

About the Nicotine Anonymous 12-Step Recovery Program

Topics On This Page

Nicotine Anonymous is a world-renowned 12-step recovery program that helps nicotine addicts quit smoking and chewing tobacco. Nicotine Anonymous is independent from Alcoholics Anonymous, but the organization bases its teachings on the AA text, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions.

The 12 Steps of Nicotine Anonymous

The 12 steps of Nicotine Anonymous are nearly identical to those of Alcoholics Anonymous, but NA is specifically geared toward those people with a smoking addiction. The first step of the program is for addicts to admit they are powerless to quit smoking on their own. The second step follows closely by requiring an addict to enlist the help of a higher power to overcome the addiction. The third step is when the participant must decide to turn over their will to God or whatever they believe their higher power to be.

The fourth step is when participants take a moral inventory of their lives and decisions they have made. In the fifth step, they must confess to God and others the things they have done wrong as related to their addiction. The sixth step requires them to turn control of their personal flaws over to God.

The seventh step is to beseech God to remove personal shortcomings and defects of character. In the eighth step, the addict makes a list of everyone their addictive behavior has harmed. The ninth step, often considered the most difficult, requires the addict to apologize to everyone on the list as long as doing so would not cause the victim further harm.

The 10th step is a continuation of the personal inventory taken in the fourth step. The 11th step involves the active seeking of God’s will for the individual’s life through solitary meditation, prayer and any other spiritual discipline the individual chooses. The 12th and final step is to apply the previous 11 steps to helping new members overcome their own addictions.

Give us a call anytime 24/7

You are never too old to improve your health and quality of life!

1-877-838-9754 Who Answers?

Effects of Nicotine Addiction & Smoking

Nicotine addiction is a serious problem, and consumption of nicotine products often leads to serious and even life-threatening medical problems. The CDC estimates that 19 percent of all American adults smoke and that 80 to 90 percent of all lung cancer cases are due to smoking.

Aside from lung cancer, the use of nicotine causes many unpleasant side effects, including:

“Nicotine addiction is a serious problem, and consumption of nicotine products often leads to serious and even life-threatening medical problems.”The longer you smoke, the greater your risk of developing serious complications from smoking and tobacco use becomes. If you or a loved one has a smoking problem, it is never too late to quit. While long-term smoking often causes irreparable damage, the sooner you quit the better you will feel. It is difficult to quit smoking alone, and many addicts find they need professional help to launch a successful recovery. We are ready to talk and help you take that first step toward a smoke-free life, so call our 24/7 hotline today at 1-888-376-9282 Who Answers? .

Long-Term Benefits of Quitting Nicotine

Peer support networks like Nicotine Anonymous provide assistance, understanding and knowledge. Many people who first attend a meeting don’t even believe they have a problem, but after speaking with other members and hearing their stories, they often decide to stay and participate in the full 12-step program. Nicotine Anonymous awards sobriety chips to commemorate the milestones in each member’s journey to sobriety. As a new member, you will receive support from a sponsor who has been free of nicotine addiction for at least one year. This support is essential because the sponsor understands where you are at now as well as many of the reasons you started smoking or chewing tobacco in the first place.

If you want to learn more about nicotine addiction or joining a nicotine support network in your area, call us at 1-888-376-9282 Who Answers? . We are standing by to receive your call and help you get started on the road to recovery.

What to Expect from a Smokers Anonymous Meeting

Article Summary

Smokers Anonymous is a self-help smoking cessation group that uses the principles and 12-step method of Alcoholics Anonymous as the basis for its program. The group was formed in the early 1980s under the name Smokers Anonymous, but it changed its name to Nicotine Anonymous in 1990 as a way to include all those who were addicted to nicotine in whatever form. Now, those interested can find Smokers Anonymous meetings at the Nicotine Anonymous website.

Smokers Anonymous, or Nicotine Anonymous, identifies itself as “not a medical organization” and “a fellowship of men and women helping each other to live our lives free of nicotine.” Like Alcoholics Anonymous, the group encourages members to lean on the help of a higher power, but explicitly states that it is not a religious organization. It also does not require members to adhere to any particular creed. Each group is self-governing and there are no compulsory dues or fees. Members meet group expenses through voluntary donations. Addicts can keep their anonymity while receiving support and encouragement from others also striving to beat nicotine addiction. Members give only their first names at meetings.

Did You Know?

EXPLORE OTHER ARTICLES

Finding a Smokers Anonymous Meeting

The Nicotine Anonymous website offers visitors an easy way to find local Nicotine Anonymous smokers support groups. The “Meetings” tab at the top of the site’s homepage connects to a page with links to search-by-state lists, for those in the United States, or search by country lists for international visitors. The Meetings page also displays the group’s voicemail phone number. The Contact page lists the group’s email addresses and World Services mailing address.

What to Expect at Your First Meeting

Nicotine Anonymous states that the only requirement to join the group is a desire to be free of nicotine addiction. Group members use meeting time to honestly share their struggles with nicotine and receive support from other members. The group adheres to a 12-step recovery model to help members stop using nicotine.

The 12 steps of the Nicotine Anonymous smokers support groups were patterned on the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous, though the two groups are not affiliated. The rough outline of the steps is admission of helplessness, reliance on a higher power, and the decision to turn one’s life over to that higher power. Once this is done, the addict faces and confesses his wrongdoing, makes a list of people he has harmed and does his best to make restitution. After having made restitution, the addict continues to follow a lifestyle of prayer and communion with God and fellowship with others in recovery.

Nicotine Anonymous also uses five tools to help members kick the smoking habit: support group meetings, a phone list of other members who are willing to offer advice and support in the interim, informational books and pamphlets, the help of another member who is able and willing to act as a personal coach to newcomers (also called a sponsor), and service to others still struggling with nicotine addiction.

Don’t try to kick the habit on your own. Let us show you how much better it is when you walk this path with others. Call us at 1-877-838-9754 Who Answers? to find the Nicotine Anonymous smokers support group nearest you.

Sponsor

New England Recovery and Wellness
81 Hall St.
Concord, New Hampshire 03301

Sponsor

Recovery Boot Camp for Men
85 SW 5th Ave
Delray Beach, Florida 33444

Sponsor

The Freedom Center
202 Perry Pkwy #5
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878

Sponsor

Sage Recovery Villa
7201 Gilbert Road
Manor, Texas 78653

View Facilities in our Top Ten States

View Facilities in our Top Ten Cities