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\nQuitting smoking can be challenging, but you can find support for your quit journey where and when you need it, to raise your chances of quitting for good.
\n\u201cI\u2019m sick of this addiction.\u201d Clay A. left that comment on the CDC Tobacco Free Facebook page. \u201cI quit for a year and four months and came back,\u201d he went on to say. \u201cQuitting is not easy.\u201d
\nCDC\u2019s Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) knows that it may take a number of tries before you\u2019re able to quit for good, but we also know that it can be done. In fact, so many people have quit that there are now more former smokers than current smokers in the United States. Quitting can be challenging, but you can find support for your quit journey where and when you need it, to raise your chances of quitting for good. This year, make a New Year\u2019s resolution to quit smoking for good.
\n\u201cAt this time of year, we know that many smokers make a resolution to quit and start off on a healthier course,\u201d says Corinne Graffunder, DrPH, MPH, director of OSH. \u201cIf now is your time to quit tobacco, there are many tools available to help you find and follow a quit strategy that works for you.\u201d
\nWhether you\u2019ve never tried to quit or have tried many times, a new year means another chance to create your successful quit plan.
\nNo matter how long you\u2019ve smoked, there are health benefits to quitting. James, a participant in the Tips From Former Smokers\u00ae campaign and a smoker for 30 years, started having some trouble doing everyday tasks. He also learned he had diabetes. So James decided he needed a healthier lifestyle. He put down cigarettes and started exercising. Quitting smoking gave him the energy to bike, run, and swim\u2014things he couldn\u2019t imagine doing before.
\nJames said he wanted to send a message to people who think smoking won\u2019t harm them because they haven\u2019t had a major smoking-related illness. \u201cI want to help people like me quit smoking,\u201d he said. \u201cMaybe nothing really bad has happened to you yet. Maybe you\u2019re lucky, but you\u2019re probably not going to stay lucky.\u201d
\nEven though adult smoking rates are at an all-time low, cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the country, with 480,000 people dying every year.
\nSmoking is linked to many dangerous diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, emphysema, and cancer. Smoking around others hurts their health, too. Breathing secondhand smoke can cause many of the same illnesses as smoking does. It can make children get sick more often, and smoking while pregnant raises the risk of a baby dying suddenly in the first year of life. No amount of secondhand smoke is risk-free.
\nStart your quit journey and free yourself from tobacco.
\nEvery smoker\u2019s quit journey is different. It may take some time to find the strategies that help you stay quit. It helps to create a personalized quit plan. Some of the steps in an effective quit plan include:
\nSmokers crave cigarettes because they contain a drug called nicotine, and smoking makes your body dependent on nicotine. Stopping smoking causes nicotine withdrawal, which can be uncomfortable, especially in the first weeks. There are ways to get through withdrawal\u2014these can include support from family or a counselor, as well as medication that helps ease cravings.
\nIt may take many tries to quit. The important thing is not to give up. Health care providers, such as doctors and nurses, can be good supporters in your quit journey. Your doctor may recommend some of the medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to help people quit smoking. These may include nicotine replacement therapy medicines, which are patches, gums, or lozenges that give the body a small amount of nicotine to ease cravings without the other harmful effects of smoking cigarettes. Pharmacists can let you know about the effects of any medicine your doctor prescribes.
\nWhether you smoked for decades, like James, or only just started, whether you have a smoking-related illness or haven\u2019t felt the damage from smoking yet, quitting right now can put you on the road to better health.
\nSays former smoker Dean G.: \u201cCan\u2019t wait to see my health continue to improve. Quitting is the best decision I ever made.\u201d
\nThere are many free resources to help you quit\u2014no matter where you are in your quit journey.
\nWebsites. Tips From Former Smokers\u00ae and Smokefree.gov.
\nQuitlines. 1-800-QUIT-NOW(1-800-784-8669) and 1-855-D\u00c9JELO-YA (1-855-335-3569) (for Spanish speakers) both offer resources like coaching, help with making a quit plan, and information about smoking and can even refer you to more resources in your area. There are also Asian-language quitlines: 1-800-838-8917(Chinese), 1-800-556-5564 (Korean), and 1-800-778-8440(Vietnamese).
\nText Support. Smokefree TXT is a free, 24/7 program that sends coaching and encouragement by text messages to help you keep your commitment to staying smoke-free.
\nSmartphone App. The smoke-free app for your phone called quitSTART helps you understand your smoking patterns and build skills so you don\u2019t give in to cravings.
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