Step 1: Map where and when you smoke or vape
Start with a few days of plain observation. Each time you smoke or vape, note the time, the place and what was going on. You'll probably see a pattern quickly: the drive in, the first coffee, the walk outside after lunch, the hour after the kids are in bed.
Some of that pattern is already shaped by rules around you. Tennessee law, as summarized by the University of Tennessee's Municipal Technical Advisory Service, prohibits smoking in most enclosed public places and enclosed places of employment, with some statutory exceptions, and covered places post No Smoking signs at every entrance. So most indoor workplaces and public rooms in Chattanooga are already off limits. Notice where you go instead.
Step 2: Note the smoke-free places in your routine
If any part of your week runs through UTC, the campus has been smoke-free since January 1, 2019. The university's policy covers all of its land, buildings and grounds, including private cars on campus property, and it counts electronic cigarettes as smoking. Students and staff who already walk off campus for a cigarette or a vape have a built-in pause they can use as a starting point.
List the places in your own routine where smoking or vaping isn't allowed. Those are the stretches of the day you already get through without it, and they're worth building on.
Step 3: Decide what kind of support suits you
Think about how you've made other changes. If you like structure and other people around you, a group program on a fixed weekly schedule may suit you. If you want privacy and a plan built around your own day, a one-on-one coach might fit better. If you're curious about hypnosis, consulting hypnotists offer sessions aimed at stopping smoking or vaping.
Your first choice doesn't have to be your last one. Some people start with one format and switch.
Step 4: Talk to your doctor or pharmacist
The providers in this directory don't offer health care. If you have a health condition, take daily medicine or are pregnant, speak with your own doctor or pharmacist before you begin, especially about any products you're thinking of using.
Step 5: Build a shortlist from the Chattanooga listings
Pick two to four providers whose format matches Step 3. Check where they meet. A provider downtown might be easy if you work near Market Street and harder if you live in Ooltewah or Signal Mountain and would be driving in after work. Video sessions are an option if travel gets in the way.
Step 6: Call each provider
Ask everyone the same questions so you can compare:
1. What does your process involve, session by session? 2. How many sessions, and over how many weeks? 3. Do you work with vaping as well as cigarettes? 4. Is there follow-up between sessions? 5. What's the total cost, including anything extra? 6. What's your policy if I need to reschedule?
Be wary of anyone who promises a sure thing or overnight change. A plain, specific answer is a better sign than a dramatic claim.
Step 7: Pick a start date and prepare
Choose a date that doesn't land in the middle of a stressful week. Tell a few people you trust. Clear out lighters, ashtrays and vape supplies from the car and the house. Plan what you'll do during the moments you mapped in Step 1, such as taking a different route, swapping coffee for tea or calling a friend on the walk to the car.
Step 8: Use the smoke-free hours you already have
On your first days, lean on the places where smoking is already off limits. A shift indoors at work or an afternoon on campus is time you're already used to spending without a cigarette. Try to stretch those hours a little further each day.
Step 9: Keep in touch with your provider
Show up to every session you booked, even on days you'd rather skip. If something isn't clicking, say so. A good provider will adjust the plan or tell you honestly if another format might suit you better.
A note about this directory
Stop Smoking Pros lists independent providers in the Chattanooga area. We don't run programs or check credentials, so make your own choice after a few conversations.