Also known as: Smoking cessation assistance; Smoking cessation; Stop smoking; Smoking - How to quit
Ready to quit smoking? We can help.
One of the most important steps you can take to improve your health is to quit smoking. Providence Health & Services can help you every step of the way. Please see our Stop Smoking Resources below.
Forms & Information
If you smoke, one of the most important steps you can take to improve your health is to quit smoking. Providence Health & Services supports you in this effort. The resources below can help you stop smoking for good.
From the experts
Q: "My 65-year-old father has been smoking for decades and refuses to quit. He knows smoking causes cancer but says quitting will do no good because the damage is already done. Would quitting now do anything to reduce his risk?"
Q: “I’ve tried to quit smoking several times, but it never sticks. With Oregon’s new smoking ban in effect, I’m ready to be done with it. Are there any new drugs or programs that can improve my results? What is the most effective, proven way to quit for good?”
Answer from Meera Jain, M.D., co-medical director, Providence Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program:
Q: “I’m 23 years old, and the thing I regret most is putting that first cigarette in my mouth. I’ve been smoking for three years, 18 to 25 cigarettes a day. Today, I decided to quit. In three years of smoking, how much did I damage my body? Is there any chance of becoming as healthy as a lifelong nonsmoker?”
Q: "I quit smoking 15 years ago after smoking a pack or two a day for 28 years. Now I want to do all I can to lessen the effects of my earlier bad habits. Are there any dietary measures, supplements or other strategies you know of that may help prevent cancer?"
Q: “I’m 17, and I've smoked twice in my life, both times last month. Now I’m coughing and my chest has a raw feeling to it. I’m not coughing up blood and I don't have shortness of breath, but I did hold the smoke in my mouth, and I breathed a little second-hand smoke, too. Could I have lung cancer?”
Q: “Are electronic cigarettes safe to use? What about other smoking alternatives, like herbal cigarettes and hookahs?”
Q: "Both of my parents smoked their entire lives and never developed lung cancer. My father's parents were the same. With this family history, do I still need to worry about lung cancer? I only smoke about a pack a week."
Q. “My wife and I are talking about conceiving a baby. I have been using marijuana and smoking cigarettes for about ten years. My wife has never smoked anything. Before we do this, I want to know if I should quit for a month or so to make sure that our children won’t have birth defects or problems later in life. My wife seems to think that what I do doesn’t matter, and that it’s only what she does that affects the baby. I’m not so sure. I want to do the right thing.”
Q: "What is the real risk of getting lung cancer if you smoke cigarettes and is there a "safe" smoking level?"
Tobacco use today is a pediatric epidemic. According to the Surgeon General’s 2012 report, Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults, adolescents are especially susceptible to the dangers of smoking and nicotine addiction.
Quitting smoking is not easy. It takes most people an average of six tries before they finally quit for good – but you can up your success rate with the right combination of motivation and support.
Facts about smoking and cardiovascular disease:
You already know that smoking is unhealthy. The word has been out since the first Surgeon General’s Report in 1964. One out of four smokers will die from their tobacco addiction. More than 420,000 will die this year. It is the single most preventable cause of death or illness in our country.
Many teenagers and adults think that there are no effects of smoking on their bodies until they reach middle age. Smoking-caused lung cancer, other cancers, heart disease, and stroke typically do not occur until years after a person's first cigarette. However, there are many serious harms from smoking that occur much sooner. In fact, smoking has numerous immediate health effects on the brain and on the respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, immune and metabolic systems.
Imagine, for a moment, being inside your lungs, watching the millions of tiny hairs called cilia do their job of filtering out impurities. Then, observe as the smoke from one cigarette invades the lungs, paralyzing the cilia for 24 hours.
Let’s get specific: Reivew this chart to remind yourself of the risks of smoking and the benefits of quitting.
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