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Quitting smoking

• More information on quitting smoking

Smoking is the number one cause of preventable illness and death in the United States. If you're a long-time smoker, you may think it's too late. But it's never too late to benefit from quitting. If you quit smoking, you are likely to add years to your life. You may also breathe more easily, have more energy, and save more money.

Other benefits include:

• Reduced cancer, heart attack, and lung disease risk
• Better blood circulation
• No smoke odor in your clothes and hair
• A better sense of taste
• A more sensitive sense of smell
• No more harmful secondhand smoke for your family members

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More information on quitting smoking

Read more from womenshealth.gov

• Smoking and How to Quit — These pages from womenshealth.gov empower women to quit smoking and all forms of tobacco use. Learn why quitting matters to your health, your quality of life, and the health of others. The site also offers strategies that can help you quit for good.
  http://www.womenshealth.gov/smoking-how-to-quit/

Explore other publications and websites

• Freedom From Smoking (Copyright © American Lung Association) — Quitting smoking can evoke many feelings: fear, resentment, relief. But if you stay committed to the program and complete all of the assignments, you have a good chance of remaining smoke-free for good. The online program provides 7 sections that focus on determining readiness, confidence building, understanding your habit, physical and psychological recovery, long-term strategies, fitness, and more.
  http://www.ffsonline.org/
• HealthierUS.gov — With a focus on physical fitness, nutrition, preventative screenings, and avoiding risky behaviors, HealthierUS.gov is a source of credible, accurate information to help Americans live healthier lives.
  http://www.healthierus.gov
• How to Quit: Government Resources — This page provides tips on how to quit smoking.
  http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/quit_smoking/how_to_quit/index.htm
• Questions About Smoking, Tobacco, and Health (Copyright © American Cancer Society) — This publication answers common questions about health and tobacco use. It provides information on the various health effects of smoking, addiction, and the harmful chemicals cigarettes contain.
  http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CancerCauses/TobaccoCancer/QuestionsaboutSmokingTobaccoandHealth/questions-about-smoking-tobacco-and-health-intro-and-background
• Quit-smoking Products: Boost Your Chance of Quitting for Good (Copyright © Mayo Foundation) — This fact sheet provides detailed information on nicotine replacement aids that can help you quit smoking. It discusses nicotine patches, inhalers, nasal sprays, nicotine gums, and lozenges. It also gives information on prescription medicines that can help with smoking cessation.
  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/quit-smoking-products/MY00781
• Smoking and Bone Health — This fact sheet discusses what is known about the association between tobacco use and decreased bone density.
  http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Osteoporosis/Conditions_Behaviors/bone_smoking.asp
• Smoking and Tobacco Use — This website has extensive information on smoking and other types of tobacco use. It includes educational materials, reports, and information on how to quit.
  http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/
• Smoking and Your Digestive System — This fact sheet explains the harmful effects that cigarette smoking can have on the digestive system, such as peptic ulcers, liver disease, and gallstones. It also explains how these negative effects can be reversed.
  http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/smoking/index.htm
• Smoking: "Why Do I Smoke?" Quiz (Copyright © American Academy of Family Physicians) — This quiz can help you understand the reasons why you smoke. Knowing those reasons can greatly increase your chances of quitting.
  http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/addictions/tobacco/296.html

Connect with other organizations

• National Cancer Institute, NIH
  http://www.cancer.gov/
• National Institute on Aging, NIH, HHS
  http://www.nia.nih.gov/
• Office of the Surgeon General, HHS
  http://www.surgeongeneral.gov
• Office on Smoking and Health, CDC
  http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/
• Smokefree Women, CDC and NCI, NIH, HHS
  http://women.smokefree.gov/
• Smokefree.gov
  http://www.smokefree.gov/

Content last updated August 12, 2010.

Resources last updated August 12, 2010.

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