If you are currently using tobacco products, why not join the millions of smokers who participate in the American Cancer Society's annual Great American Smokeout, by agreeing to stop smoking for a 24-hour period? This could very well be the single event that transforms you into a "former smoker" and leads the way to a healthier lifestyle for the twenty-first century.

Don't wait until it is too late to quit. Learn the facts about smoking today.

1. Your chances of getting lung cancer are 10 times greater than a nonsmoker.
2. You are twice as likely to have a heart attack.
3. Cigarette smoking is strongly linked with emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
4. Cigarette smoke contains about 4,000 chemicals. Many are poisonous and over 40 of them are linked to cancer.
5. Pregnant women who smoke increase their risk of having a stillborn or low birth weight infant.
6. Cigarette smoke is harmful to everyone who inhales it, including those who do not smoke themselves.
7. Children of smokers are twice as likely to pick up the habit when they grow older.

Get ready to quit. Find out if you have what it takes to stop smoking.

1. Do you want to stop smoking?
2. Are you willing to make some changes in your daily routine?
3. Are you prepared to deal with some challenging moments once you make the commitment to quit?

If you answered yes to these questions, you are ready to stop smoking now.

Develop a plan. Take control of your addiction today.

1. Pick a day to stop smoking. Each November during the Great American Smokeout, millions of other Americans will stop smoking too.
2. Tell your family and friends about your plans. You will need their encouragement when you feel the urge to light up.
3. Get rid of all your cigarettes, lighters, and ashtrays since you will no longer need them.
4. Be prepared to feel the urge to light up. The urge will be strong at first, but will later diminish. If you have had difficulty stopping smoking in the past, contact your physician about trying nicotine chewing gum. Many employers now offer classes to help those who are trying to quit smoking.

Keep smoking a thing of the past. Focus on the positives.

1. The nicotine in cigarettes is addictive. Your body will eventually adjust to the absence of nicotine, but as it does you may experience some bodily changes.
   • Initially, without nicotine you may feel nervous or irritable.
   • Since nicotine is a stimulant, you may feel tired when you first stop smoking.
   • People often mistake their urge for a cigarette for hunger, don't eat to get rid of your urge to smoke.
   • Coughing is a way that your body gets rid of the extra mucus that has been clogging your lungs. The cough may seem worse in the beginning, but it will subside as time goes by.
2. Start a savings jar to collect money that you would have spent on tobacco. Reward yourself with a gift to celebrate your first month of smoke-free living.
3. Schedule a dental appointment. Get your teeth and mouth feeling clean and fresh.
4. Recognize that you are not perfect. If you have a slip up, and light up, don't let yourself become a smoker again. Remember all of the reasons why you have quit. Don't start again. Call a friend, or better yet, find someone who has been successful at quitting and call him or her.

Does smoking really cause cancer?
Cigarette smoke contains over 40 cancer-causing substances and is linked with many types of cancer. It is responsible for almost 90% of lung cancers among men and almost 70% among women, or 83% overall. Cancers of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, kidney, bladder, pancreas, and uterus and cervix all have cigarette smoking as a major cause.

How does cigarette smoke affect the lungs?
Cigarette smoking lowers the functional ability of the lungs. This can result in several lung diseases that are just as dangerous and debilitating as lung cancer. Chronic bronchitis and emphysema are diseases that inhibit the ability of oxygen to move across the surfaces of the lungs. Eventually the lungs cannot deliver sufficient oxygen to the body. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease kills about 81,000 people per year, cigarette smoking is responsible for at least 65,000 of these deaths.

Is it ever too late to quit smoking?
It is never too late to quit. The sooner someone gives up tobacco, the sooner they begin to cut their risk of getting cancer and other smokers diseases. Studies have shown that within 3 months after quitting, circulation improves and lung function can increase by as much as 30%. After 10 years, the lung cancer death rate is almost half that of a continuing smokers. By 15 years, the risk of heart disease is equal to that of a non-smoker.

What is nicotine replacement therapy?
By chewing gum containing nicotine or wearing a patch from which the skin absorbs nicotine, the withdrawal symptoms associated with stopping smoking can be reduced or eliminated. The FDA has approved these products for over the counter sale. They are best used along with a program of behavior modification to help the smoker break their psychological dependence on smoking. Persons with certain medical conditions should not use nicotine replacement therapy. Consult with your doctor before using these products.

How can I keep from gaining weight when I stop smoking?
Although many smokers gain some weight initially after stopping smoking, you can stop smoking without gaining too much weight. Now is a good time to begin an exercise program. Stay active. Take a walk when the urge to light up gets strong. Drink lots of water, 6-8 glasses per day. Avoid eating too much sugar. Substitute low-calorie snacks like sugarless gum, raw vegetables, and fruit when the urge to smoke gets too strong.

How can I handle stress if I cannot light up?
You may miss smoking but it is important to remind yourself every day why you have quit. Smoking disables and kills. Its easy to remember the good feelings about smoking, but its more important to focus on the ways that your life will improve without smoking. Take it one day at a time. Do not fixate your thoughts on how hard it will be to never have another cigarette. Instead take it a day at a time. Each morning make a pact with yourself that today you will not smoke. Allow yourself to feel proud at the end of each day when you have met your goal. Before you know it, days will turn into weeks and weeks to months and years, and you will join the millions of Americans who have kicked the habit for good!