Get Through a Craving, or Restart After a Slip
Key takeaways
When a craving hits, start a timer and try one of the short ideas until it rings. If you smoke, one button restarts your count and keeps the days you had before. Nothing leaves your browser, and your record is saved only if you ask.
A craving feels urgent, but it is usually short. The point of the timer is to give you a few minutes to do something else before you decide anything.
When the urge hits
Set the timer, then pick one idea and do it until the clock runs out. If the urge is still there at the end, start another round. Each time you wait one out, the next one tends to be easier. Our guide to how long cravings last explains where that figure comes from.
After a slip
A slip is common and does not cancel the days you have already earned. The button restarts your count from today and keeps the earlier days in your total. Then decide what to change for the moment that set it off.
Keep your count
Enter the date of your last cigarette and the tool shows your days since and your total. For a longer routine, use the quit plan builder or the smoke-free days counter.
Craving and slip support
Runs in your browser. Nothing is sent to us. It is a support tool, not medical advice.
I want to smoke right now
Set a timer for a few minutes and do something else until it rings. Most cravings fade if you wait them out.
I smoked
A slip is common and does not erase what you have done. Set the date again and keep going.
My count
- Days since my last cigarette
- Enter a date
- Smoke-free days in total
- 0
- Slips so far
- 0
Need to talk to someone? Call 1-866-366-3667 is the national number Health Canada lists for a quit coach. Find your province's line.
Health information is general and educational. It does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or nurse. Read the full disclaimer.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a craving last?
For most people the urge begins to dissolve after a few minutes, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Withdrawal as a whole lasts longer.
What should I do if I smoke?
Treat it as information, not failure. Restart your count, note what set it off, choose one change for that moment and consider calling a quit coach.
Is my record stored?
Only in your browser and only if you tick the box. You can download it or clear it at any time.
Sources
- Health Canada: quit smoking — Health Canada. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Health Canada: provincial and territorial quit services — Health Canada. Accessed October 27, 2026.