The health benefits of quitting tobacco are no secret.
At 20 minutes cigarette-free, your heart rate and blood pressure go down. By the time 12 hours is up, carbon monoxide levels in your blood decrease. Weeks later, your circulation and lung function have improved. And once you make it a decade without smoking, you’ve cut your risk of coronary heart disease and multiple types of cancer – including mouth, throat, esophagus, and lung cancer – in half compared to someone who is still smoking.
So it’s no surprise that most current smokers say they want to quit, according to research by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
But quitting isn’t easy. In fact, it can take a number of attempts before someone is successful. One of the biggest challenges is keeping or regaining motivation when you aren’t able to quit on the first try.
Support can make the next attempt easier. Options include quitlines, phone apps, nicotine replacement products, prescription medication, and peer support. Find the resource or combination of resources that works for you.
Learn more at www.snohd.org/smokefree.