What are some common smoking triggers?

Smoking is commonly triggered by finishing a meal, drinking coffee, eating a meal, talking on the phone, driving your car, stressful situations, boredom, being around other smokers, and drinking alcohol.

Think about the situations, people, places, and feelings that often lead you to reach for a cigarette (or a can or pouch of tobacco). These are your triggers.

Common Triggers:

• finishing a meal
• talking on the phone
• being around friends who smoke
• feeling stressed or bored
• riding in the car
• sitting on the porch at the end of the day
• going on a break from work
• feeling angry or lonely

Probably anything that reminds you of a cigarette or the misperceived comfort you associated with smoking. Common smoking triggers are frequently associated with habitual occurrences. You may desire a cigarette while driving your regular route to work, on a 15 minute break, after dinner or while reading the paper in the morning. It is best to break all old habits and start a fresh new routine to avoid those nasty triggers. Take a new route to work and get your car upholstery cleaned, take a brisk walk or chat with co-workers on your break -- avoid the smoker's area, leave the table immediately after dinner and sip on a cup of java with your morning paper. The good news is that those triggers will slowly release their grip on you over time. Eventually your new habits will become ingrained and you will miss the comfort of a cigarette less and less.

The best way to deal with the urge to smoke is to avoid triggers. Triggers are things that tempt you. The most obvious triggers are the sight and smell of cigarettes. There are also triggers specifically related to your past smoking habits. The most common triggers are the morning cup of coffee and alcoholic beverages. Feelings of fatigue or hunger can trigger your urge to smoke, as can catching sight of your car's ashtray. You may not know all your triggers. To find them out, many people keep a trigger diary before and while they are quitting.

Two substances that are highly associated with smoking are coffee and alcohol. That is why it will be wise to cut down your coffee intake and replace it with teas and water. Alcohol causes inhibition and makes it harder to control your urge to smoke. Fruits and vegetables in the other hand may curb your desire to lighten up a cigarette. A study from Dukan University showed that fruits and veggies make cigarettes taste bad - that is good news! 

Following situations may trigger you to smoke:

Drinking coffee or tea
Being with other smokers
Taking a break
Talking on the phone
Driving a car
After eating
Feeling stressed
Feeling bored

This answer is based on source information from the National Cancer Institute.