How to use this guide
This guide is for anyone in Savannah or nearby in Chatham County who wants to stop smoking or vaping and is thinking about working with a coach, a consulting hypnotist or a group program. It walks through choosing a provider and setting up a plan. It is not health guidance, and if you have questions about your own health, talk with your doctor.
Step 1: Note where you already can't smoke
Start with the rules you live under. The state rules for the Georgia Smokefree Air Act of 2005 prohibit smoking in all enclosed public places and in enclosed areas within places of employment, with limited exceptions. Savannah went further: its ordinance, in effect since January 1, 2011, requires all public places and workplaces in the city to be smoke free, according to the Savannah Police Department's notice. Write down the places in your day this covers, such as your job, the grocery store and the restaurants you visit. Those are already smoke-free hours you can build on.
Step 2: Map the rest of your day
Now list the times you do smoke or vape: the first one in the morning, the car, the break outside a bar's patio area, the evening on the porch. Next to each, note what usually sets it off. This map is the most useful thing you can bring to a provider.
Step 3: Decide what kind of help suits you
Think about how you like to work. Some people want one-on-one meetings with a coach. Some are curious about a consulting hypnotist. Others prefer a group program where they meet people going through the same thing. Decide too whether you'd rather meet in person in Savannah or by video from home.
Step 4: Contact two or three providers
Use the listings on this site to reach a few independent providers. Ask each one the same things:
- How many sessions do you usually plan, and how far apart?
- Do you work with people who vape?
- What is the total cost, and what is paid in advance?
- What happens if I miss a session or need to pause?
Compare the answers side by side. Be cautious with any provider who makes firm promises about how things will turn out for you; nobody can know that in advance.
Step 5: Pick a start date
Choose a date that isn't in the middle of your busiest stretch at work. If your job has a seasonal rush, starting just after it can make the first weeks easier. Tell your provider the date and plan the first sessions around it.
Step 5b: Prepare for the first week
The first days usually take the most planning. Look at your map from Step 2 and pick a replacement for each of the hardest moments: a short walk after a meal, a glass of water in the car, a different route home that skips the store where you usually buy. Keep these simple. You'll adjust them with your provider as you go.
Step 6: Line up your support
Tell one or two people you trust what you're doing. Ask for something specific, such as a walk at your usual smoke break, or a text check-in in the evening. Clear out lighters and vapes from the car and the house before your start date.
Step 7: Go to the first sessions and keep notes
After each session, write down one or two things you'll try before the next one. Bring your map from Step 2 and update it. If a time of day keeps tripping you up, raise it with your provider rather than waiting.
Step 8: Review after a few weeks
Check in with yourself after three or four weeks. Is the provider a good fit? Are the sessions at a time you can keep? If something isn't right, it's fine to change the schedule or try a different provider. Many people need more than one try at stopping, and a setback is information to bring to your next session, not a reason to give up on the plan.
A last word about this directory
Stop Smoking Pros lists independent providers in Savannah and elsewhere. We don't run programs and we don't check anyone's credentials. Read the smoke-free rules cited below for the exact wording, and choose the provider that fits you.