Stop Smoking Cigarettes

Cigarette smoking greatly increases the risk of fatal and nonfatal heart attacks in both men and women. It also increases the risk of a second heart attack among survivors. Women who smoke and use oral contraceptives have an even greater risk than smoking alone. The good news is that quitting smoking greatly reduces the risk of heart attack. One year after quitting, the risk drop to about one-half that of current smokers and gradually returns to normal in persons without heart disease. Even among persons with heart disease, the risk also drops sharply one year after quitting smoking and it continues to decline over time but the risk does not return to normal.

(Note: This following links open a second browser window. Simply close that window to return to this page.)

The Virtual Office of the Surgeon General is a Web site of the U.S. Surgeon General. It contains information to help smokers quit. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved five medications to help you stop smoking and lessen the urge to smoke. They are:

	Bupropion SR - available by prescription
	Nicotine gum - available over-the-counter
	Nicotine inhaler - available by prescription
	Nicotine nasal spray - available by prescription
	Nicotine patch - available by prescription and over-the-counter

All of these medicines will more or less double your chances of quitting and quitting for good. You will find details on this information and more at the Virtual Office of the Surgeon General.

Please send us your feedback, comments, and questions
by using the appropriate link on the page, Contact the NHLBI.

Note to users of screen readers and other assistive technologies:
please report your problems here.