Quitting Smoking: Take Control of Your Health

Did you know that smoking can be very harmful to your body? It can cause diseases like lung cancer, heart disease, and breathing problems. In fact, smoking is the main reason why many people die in the United States. It's important to know that you can quit smoking and make your health better.

When you stop smoking, you will experience these benefits:

1. Lowered risk of getting lung cancer and other types of cancer.
2. Reduced chance of heart disease, stroke, and problems with your blood vessels.
3. Your risk of heart disease goes down within 1 to 2 years after quitting.
4. You'll have fewer breathing problems like coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Even though these symptoms may not completely go away, they won't get worse as they do for people who keep smoking.
5. Lowered the risk of getting serious lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S.
6. If you're a woman of childbearing age, quitting smoking lowers your chances of infertility. It also reduces the risk of having a low birth weight baby if you stop smoking during pregnancy.

If you're ready to quit smoking, here are some helpful resources:

1. Mobile Services: Smoke-free apps for your smartphone: QuitGuide and quitSTART (available for iOS and Android phones).

   • Free text messaging programs: SmokefreeTXT, SmokefreeTXT en español, and SmokefreeTXT for Teens. These programs give you 24/7 encouragement, advice, and tips for becoming smoke-free.

2. Practice Quit: For smokers who want to quit, but want to get comfortable with not smoking for short periods of time first.

3. Daily Challenges: For smokers who want to build quitting skills before trying to quit.

You can also call the toll-free numbers below if you want help to quit:

• 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669)
• 1-855-DÉJELO-YA (1-855-335-3569)
  These services offer free telephone support and can provide you with support, advice, counseling, personalized quit plans, and information about stop-smoking medications.

Online help is available too:

• Commit to Quit:  A cost-free cessation program that provides online and telephone support. It offers two weeks of nicotine replacement therapy products at no cost and assistance from a quit coach when needed.
• BecomeAnEX: A free three-step plan to quit smoking for good. It helps you break down quitting into smaller steps, making it easier to succeed.

Remember, quitting smoking is a great decision for your health. You can take control and improve your life by becoming smoke-free.