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Basic InformationMore InformationLatest NewsSmoking Seems to Backfire on Teens Hoping for a LiftLung Damage From Secondhand Smoke Observed in RatsYouth Tobacco Use Down Since 2000; No Drop Since 2006Nicotine Can Fuel Breast Cancer, Study SuggestsTobacco Depictions in Popular Movies Down Since 2005FDA Mulling Ban on Menthol CigarettesUsing Multiple Tobacco Products Ups Hazards: CDCCigarette Smoke May Up Cancer Risk By Interfering With GenesPersonalized Video May Be Useful Anti-Smoking ToolDecline in U.S. Teen Smoking Rate StallsWomen Urged to Declare Their Independence From TobaccoSmoking May Boost Risk of Certain Colon CancersWhen Parents Smoke, Kids' Weight, Behavior May SufferHealth Professionals Often Do Little to Help Smokers QuitPatients Could Use More Help Quitting SmokingNew Tobacco Regulations to Take EffectPrenatal Smoking Linked to Pregnancy, Infant RisksLifestyle Changes Are No Guarantee Against Alzheimer'sQuitting Smoking Before Pregnancy Could Save Babies' LivesSecondhand Smoke Linked to Psychological DistressSecondhand Smoke a Mental Health Hazard?Certain Smokers More Apt to Quit Over Price HikesSmoking History, Not Symptoms, Predictive of COPDMore Cancer-Causing Chemicals in U.S. CigarettesDoes Mom Need Help to Stop Smoking?Smoking While Pregnant May Raise Psychiatric Risks in KidsSmoking Ups Risk of Second Breast CancerArteries Age Twice as Fast in SmokersSmoking May Be in Your GenesTailored Therapy May Help More Stop SmokingSecondhand Smoke Boosts Sinusitis RiskDepression and Smoking Go Hand in Hand in U.S.Job Stress Might Actually Help You Smoke LessNicotine Withdrawal Can Complicate Hospital CarePathway Can Identify Smokers Most at Risk for Lung CancerState Cigarette Taxes Not Spent on Anti-Smoking EffortsSmoking May Boost MS Risk in SomeWeight Counseling Plus Drug Helps Women Quit SmokingSmoking History Linked to Greater Eye Inflammation RiskFDA Toughens Rules on Tobacco Sales to KidsBlood Vessels Bounce Back Once Smokers QuitSecondhand Smoke Starts Damaging Arteries in ChildhoodCigars, Pipes No 'Healthy' Alternative to CigarettesClinical Trials Update: Feb. 9, 2010'Third-Hand Smoke' Could Be Troublesome, TooWhen Counseling Costs, Response DwindlesExtended Use of Nicotine Patch Linked to BenefitsSmoker's Own Secondhand Smoke Adds to Health RisksPostpartum Period Good Time to Help Parents Quit SmokingYoung Smokers May Be More Apt to Try Pot Questions and AnswersLinksBook Reviews |
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Tips For Quitting SmokingCDCAre you one of most smokers who want to quit? Don't Let Another Year Go Up In Smoke! Try following this advice to help yourself quit for good...
- Don't smoke at all - neither fewer number or special types of cigarette will work. Smoking even a few cigarettes a day can hurt your health. If you try to smoke fewer cigarettes, but do not stop completely, soon you?ll be smoking the same amount again.
Smoking "low-tar, low-nicotine" cigarettes usually does little good, either. Because nicotine is so addictive, if you switch to lower-nicotine brands you'll likely just puff harder, longer, and more often on each cigarette. The only safe choice is to quit completely.
- Write down why you want to quit. Do you want:
- to feel in control of you life?
- to have better health?
- to set a good example for your children?
- to protect your family from breathing other people's smoke?
Really wanting to quit smoking is very important to how much success you will have in quitting. Smokers who live after a heart attack are the most likely to quit for good?they're very motivated. Find a reason for quitting before you have no choice.
- Know that it will take effort to quit smoking. Nicotine is habit forming. Half of the battle in quitting is knowing you need to quit. This knowledge will help you be more able to deal with the symptoms of withdrawal that can occur, such as bad moods and really wanting to smoke. There are many ways smokers quit, including using nicotine replacement products (gum and patches), but there is no easy way. Nearly all smokers have some feelings of nicotine withdrawal when they try to quit. Give yourself a month to get over these feelings. Take quitting one day at a time, even one minute at a time ? whatever you need to succeed.
- Half of all adult smokers have quit, so you can? too. That's the good news.There are millions of people alive today who have learned to face life without a cigarette. For staying healthy, quitting smoking is the best step you can take.
- Get help if you need it. Many groups offer written materials, programs, and advice to help smokers quit for good. Your doctor or dentist is also a good source of help and support.
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This page last reviewed May 21, 2002.
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