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\nSmoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States, killing more than 480,000 Americans each year. It causes immediate damage to your body, which can lead to long-term health problems. For every person who dies because of smoking, at least 30 people live with a serious smoking-related illness. The only proven strategy to protect yourself from harm is to never smoke, and if you do smoke or use tobacco products, to quit.
\nIn March 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched the first-ever paid national tobacco education campaign\u2014Tips From Former Smokers (Tips). The Tips campaign profiles real people who are living with serious long-term health effects from smoking and secondhand smoke exposure.
\nSince its launch, Tips has featured compelling stories of former smokers living with smoking-related diseases and disabilities and the toll these conditions have taken on them. The campaign, which continues through 2016, has also featured nonsmokers who have experienced life-threatening episodes as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke.
\nTips ads focus on many health issues caused or made worse by smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke, including:
\nTips engages doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, and many other health care providers so they can encourage their smoking patients to quit for good. Resources for health care providers, public health professionals, and mental health providers can be found on our page.
\nIn September 2013, The Lancet medical journal published an article about the effects of the 2012 Tips campaign, reporting that:
\nAt those amounts, the Tips campaign is a \u201cbest buy\u201d in public health, where the benchmark for a cost-effective health program is $50,000 per year of life saved.
\nFree help is available for those who want to quit. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or explore I'm Ready to Quit!
\nLearn more about the health consequences caused by smoking and help spread the word with Tips materials, available in English or Spanish. Our Campaign Resources page is also available in Spanish: Recursos de la campa\u00f1a.
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