New Year, New Possibilities: Start Living a Smokefree Life Today!
The new year brings new possibilities for improved health when you quit smoking. Many people feel like they have a “second chance to live” after they quit, and they feel better when they start living a smokefree life.
Quitting smoking can be hard, but it helps if you have a plan. See what’s possible for your health when you quit smoking today!
Rico F. started smoking cigarettes at age 14. He continued smoking as an adult. Although his doctors told him to quit, he admits it was difficult.
At age 45, Rico’s doctor told him he had cancer. He realized he had to take action and quit smoking for good. Rico stopped smoking because he wanted to be healthy and watch his then-teenaged children grow up. After having treatment in 2011, Rico is now cancer free.
Rico said he first struggled to quit smoking. He feels proud that he took control of his health and quit. “I quit so that I’d be more than a memory to my wife and children,” he said. He believes it’s never too late to quit smoking and live a healthy lifestyle.
Rico is a cancer survivor who is passionate about sharing his story. He wants to educate others about the health consequences of smoking. “As a former smoker, I know how hard it is to quit. Addiction is a very difficult battle to win, but it can be done,” he said. Rico says that ever since he quit smoking, time spent with his wife and children is even more precious. “Now that I’ve quit, I can be a part of my children’s lives as they mature.”
Quitting smoking is one of the most important actions you can take to improve your health. This is true regardless of your age or how long you have been smoking.
It’s never too late to quit smoking. Over time, people who quit smoking see many benefits to their health. It reduces your risk of heart disease, cancer, lung disease, and other smoking-related illnesses. After you smoke your last cigarette, your body begins a series of positive changes that continue for years.
- Minutes after you quit, your heart rate drops.
- After 1 to 12 months, coughing and shortness of breath decrease.
- After 1 to 2 years, your risk of heart attack drops sharply.
- After 5 to 10 years, the added risk of mouth, throat, and voice box cancers drops by half.
- After 10 to 15 years, the added risk of lung cancer drops by half.
Quitting smoking can be a challenge. Make a plan this New Year to help you live a smokefree life today!
There are many resources to help you on your quit journey.
- Proven treatments like counseling and quit-smoking medicines can help you quit and stay quit. Using counseling and medication together can give you the best chance of success.
- Tips for quitting can help you with urges and cravings.
- Quitlines provide free coaching—over the phone—to help you quit smoking. When you call 1-800-QUIT-NOW, you can speak confidentially with a highly trained quit coach. Quitlines are available throughout the United States, and coaching help is available in several languages. Some quitlines offer text messaging support.
- The National Texting Portal connects you (adults 18 years of age and older in the United States) with mobile text message-based support to help you quit smoking.
- The quitSTART App is a free smartphone app that helps you quit smoking with tailored tips, inspiration, and challenges.
By making a quit plan and using these resources, 2024 can be the year you quit for good. Use the new year to welcome the possibilities of a smokefree life today!
