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Answers to your questions health prevention Smoking cessation

Contents validated by the physicians of the Scientific College of the Ramsay Health Foundation

What is craving?

Categories FAQ
Smoking cessation
Other addictions

Addictologists define craving as the irrepressible urge to consume a substance. The term comes from the English verb "to crave". Craving for tobacco takes the form of a 3 to 5-minute attack during which the urge to smoke is very strong. It's the main cause of relapse when you stop smoking. However, this craving diminishes over time. After a year's cessation, almost 50% of smokers experience periodic cravings, and 20% have at least one craving a month. If this is your case, it's a good idea to do something you can do immediately, such as stretching, taking a shower, calling a friend, etc., to distract yourself and help the craving pass.

 

To see the infographic in more detail, click here.


For further information, we recommend that you consult :

- Tabac info service website
- The Santé Publique France website and its section on tobacco
- The "Ameli" health insurance website and its thematic dossier on tobacco

And more specifically, the resources you can consult to stop smoking:

- Tabac info service: a quit-smoking app you can download here
- 3889: a free telephone service staffed by tobacco specialists, Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- A tobaccologist: a professional who can help you quit under the right conditions, who you can easily find on the tabac info service website here.

What is craving?

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