How to use this guide
These steps are a planning outline for adults in Modesto who want to stop smoking or vaping. They are not health advice; your doctor or pharmacist is the right person for health questions. The providers listed for Modesto on this site are independent. This directory introduces you to them but does not run programs or check credentials.
Step 1: Keep a three-day log
For three ordinary days, write down every cigarette or vape session: the time, where you were, who you were with, and what you were doing just before. Do not try to cut back yet. You are collecting information, and it is more accurate when you do not change anything.
Step 2: Mark where you already cannot smoke
Look at your log alongside the places where smoking is already off limits. Cal/OSHA's page on California Labor Code section 6404.5 says no person shall smoke tobacco products in an enclosed space at a place of employment, and employers may not knowingly allow it; employers can comply by posting No Smoking signs at building entrances. If you are at Modesto Junior College, which reports serving 27,270 students in 2025-2026, the college prohibits smoking and all tobacco use, including electronic smoking devices, in every indoor and outdoor space it owns, leases or otherwise controls.
Those hours are a head start. You are already going without for stretches of the day, and you can build outward from them.
Step 3: Circle the hard moments
Go back through your log and circle the three moments that would be hardest to skip. Common ones are the first coffee, the drive home, the walk off campus, or a break with the same coworkers every day. These are the moments to bring up with a provider.
Step 4: Choose a format
Decide which kind of help suits you:
- A coach for one-on-one planning, in person or by video.
- A consulting hypnotist if you are interested in relaxation-based sessions.
- A group program if you want regular meetings with other people who are stopping too.
You can combine them. Some people start with a group and add a few coaching calls.
Step 5: Contact two or three providers
From the Modesto listings, pick two or three providers and ask each one: What happens in a first session? How many sessions do you usually plan? Do you work with people who vape? What does the full program cost, and what is your cancellation policy? Write their answers side by side. Skip anyone who makes promises about how things will turn out for you. Notice, too, whether each provider asked about your log and your circled moments, or simply described a package. Someone who asks about your days is more likely to fit the plan to them.
Step 6: Pick a start date
Choose a date about one to two weeks out. Avoid a week with a big deadline, a family event, or a holiday. Tell one or two people you trust, and ask them to check in with you on day three and day ten.
Step 7: Prepare your surroundings
In the days before your start date, clear out lighters, ashtrays, spare packs and vape cartridges from your car, bag and desk. Plan something to do with your hands and mouth during the circled moments from Step 3, such as a short walk, a glass of water or a call to a friend.
Step 8: Use the rules on your side
On workdays, remember that the indoor workplace rule already keeps you from smoking inside. Instead of heading to the usual outdoor spot on your break, take a different route or sit with coworkers who do not smoke. On campus days, the college's policy covers the entire property, so use the time between classes for something you have planned in advance.
Step 9: Expect a slip and plan for it
Many people have a slip in the first weeks. Decide now what you will do if it happens: tell your provider at your next session, look at what triggered it, and pick up your plan the next morning rather than starting over from scratch.
Step 10: Check in after a month
After four weeks, sit down with your log and your provider's notes. What changed? Which moments are still hard? Decide with your provider whether to continue, change formats, or step down to occasional check-ins.