This person is not considering changing their particular behaviour or may not be aware of the potential risks they are posing to themselves in continuing to maintain their current situation.

If you're at this stage, you may be anxious about smoking but haven't yet decided to stop. You may have been at this contemplating or thinking stage for a long time and are considering the pros and cons for change, and may be seeking information to help in decision making. This stage may last a short time or several years.

In this stage change is now the preferred option against continuing with a behaviour. Preparing to change means thinking about how you are going to manage - who will help you, what cigarettes will be most difficult for you to give up etc. This is an important stage because the more you have thought about how you will cope, the more likely you will be able to do so. The benefits outweigh the costs and making a change seems a possibility for you. You may require support to move onto the next stage.

At this stage you actually make some changes to your smoking behaviour that involves setting goals and maintaining an action plan. This stage has been quoted as being the 'busiest' for those involved in making lifestyle changes, and may require support to strengthen commitment.

At this stage you are consolidating the change, and are working to prevent relapse. Once the change has been sustained over a period of time, you are moving out of the change process and into a healthier lifestyle.

If you are unable to maintain a change you may find yourself relapsing or slipping back. Relapse can happen in any stage and you can move through the change cycle between 4-7 times before reaching your goal of changing your behaviour. However research shows that the more times you try to stop, the more likely you are to succeed.