Step 1: Map where and when you smoke or vape
For one ordinary week, keep a short log on your phone. Each time you smoke or vape, note the time, the place and what you were doing. Were you in the car on I-75? On a work break? Waiting at a park while your kids played?
Many people are surprised by how much of the pattern is tied to a few places and times. That log becomes the first thing to share with a provider.
Step 2: Line it up against the rules around you
Some of your week is already shaped by rules. Florida's smoking and vaping law, Part II of Chapter 386 of the Florida Statutes, says a person may not smoke or vape in an enclosed indoor workplace, with limited exceptions. The statute keeps most smoking regulation at the state level, but lets counties and cities further restrict smoking within public beaches and public parks they own, other than unfiltered cigars.
North Port uses that option. According to the city's smoke-free parks page, a city ordinance has prohibited smoking in City parks since March 1, 2024, covering cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vapes, filtered cigars, pipes and other devices. Thirteen parks have a designated smoking area in the parking lot. The natural parks, Warm Mineral Springs Park, Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park and Oaks Park, have no designated area. Warm Mineral Springs Park, at 12200 San Servando Ave., separately lists glass, tobacco products, electronic smoking devices and alcohol as prohibited.
Look at your log. Which entries fall at work, at a city park or at the springs? Those are places where the rules already give you a break. Many people use them as anchor points in a plan.
Step 3: Decide what kind of support you want
Think about how you like to work on things:
- Do you want one person to check in with each week? Look at one-on-one coaches.
- Are you curious about hypnosis as a way to focus? Look at consulting hypnotists.
- Do you like having other people in the room? Look at group programs.
Choose one format to start with. You can change later. It also helps to think about timing: a group that meets on Tuesday nights is no use if you work late shifts that day, and a video session only helps if you have a private spot to take the call. Write your best two or three time windows down before you start calling anyone.
Step 4: Call two or three providers
Use the listings on this page to choose a few providers. On each call, ask:
1. How many sessions do you usually plan, and how long does each last? 2. Is it in person, by video, or either? 3. What do you ask me to do between sessions? 4. What does it cost, and what does that include? 5. What if I need to reschedule?
Take notes. Choose the provider whose answers are clearest and whose schedule fits yours. If you have health concerns, check with your own doctor first; the providers listed here are not health professionals.
Step 5: Plan around the drive
Providers may be in North Port, Venice or Sarasota. Venice is roughly 25 to 30 minutes from central North Port, and Sarasota roughly 45 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic. These times are approximate. A shorter drive or a video option makes it easier to keep every appointment.
Step 6: Pick a start date and tell someone
Choose a start date a week or two out, ideally a day without unusual stress. Tell a friend, partner or co-worker so they know what you are doing. Clear out lighters, ashtrays and vape supplies from your car and home the day before.
Step 7: Keep the log going
Keep logging for the first few weeks. Bring the notes to each session so you and your provider can see what is changing and where you get stuck. Adjust the plan as you go. If a certain stretch of the day keeps coming up, such as the drive home or the hour after dinner, ask your provider to help you plan something specific for that window. Small, practical changes to a routine are easier to talk through when you have the notes in front of you.
About this directory
Stop Smoking Pros lists independent coaches, consulting hypnotists and group programs serving North Port. It does not run programs, check credentials or make promises about any provider. You make your own arrangements directly.