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10 years after quitting, your risk of dying from lung cancer is half that of a smoker's. Your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas also decreases.
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Smoking & How to Quit

Speak Up

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Have a helpful hint or motivating thought to share? Tell us your story. Encourage others. Share strategies for quitting smoking. This area is for you.

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I quit smoking while I was pregnant with my son, it was hard, but I did it, and I was so proud of myself! 1 week after my son was born I was very stressed out with all the changes going on. I went right to the store and bought a pack. My son is now 8 weeks old, and I am still smoking. Smoking is taking over my life. I feel guilty all of the time, even though I would never smoke around my son, I worry that even after I brush my teeth and wash my hands, he can still smell the disgusting smoke on my cloths. I made a chart this morning, and I am only going to smoke one cigarette every 4 hrs, and slowly ween myself off the nicotine. I have my doubts about this plan, but we'll see. I know one thing, my childhood memories are completely intertwined with the awful smell of cigarettes from when my mom smoked. I am determined that my son's childhood memories will have nothing to do with the smell of cigarette smoke!

erica from Georgia

Today's the day. I have been wanting to quit for sometime now. I started smoking when I was 18. When I first got pregnant with my 1st son it took me about 3 months to quit and I did successfully!! It was great! I felt so much better and knew that it was not only benefiting me but my unborn child as well. I nursed him also, which helped any cravings I may have encountered. I stayed cigarette sober and then got pregnant with my second. I was cancer stick free for about 4 years...Then I became a stay at home mom and soon my crave for a cancer stick continued. There I was again back to the same old disgusting habit! My husband's boss was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which has spread to his liver. They have given him 3 months to live. He is 54 years old and has an beautiful family and 4 children who adore him. I am sick to my stomach for his family and him. I am 31 years old and have an amazing husband and 2 beautiful little boys who I adore and I know they all adore me. Why the heck would I want to continue this horrid affair with some piddly little sticks that do nothing for me except control me. I no longer wish to be controlled. I will not be controlled. If I am to be controlled by anything...it sure as heck won't be from cancer sticks. I could go on an on. I've done it before and am determined to do it again. I must be strong for my family. I must be strong for me. So, I cleaned up my ashtray, cut up the pack in my purse, threw out the lighter and wrote those suckers a goodbye letter and threw it in with the rest of the stink. C'est la vie. Thanks for letting me write this! It's a great site, and I will visit for more inspiration when the urges hits. Love to all those who are choosing to take charge and end this horrible deadly affair. Nothing good can come out of lighting up a smoke.

Dawn from Georgia

I quit smoking 7/9/06. It was a tough struggle and I was sick a lot after I quit and I wanted to give in because I thought I felt better since smoking was masking my problems. I am not owned by the nicotine anymore and I have control. Things do not smell anymore from smoking and I am setting a better example. I wish everyone great success w/ their stopage of smoking it is very hard and takes plenty of willpower good luck to you! Use your patches, call your friends, get out and walk, change your daily habits (don't stop at that store anymore), you are creating a new life for yourself so enjoy it!!

Anonymous from Nebraska

I had asthma since I was baby. I became a teenager and it was cool to smoke. I had asthma, bronchitis and went into the hospital every year. I was always sick and could not breath. I tried quitting 30 times. My friends were all quitting I was still puffing away. Finally got these lozenges with 4mg of nicotine in them and went down to 2mgs. Then one night I had a pain in my shoulder and I got a fever of 104. My husband took me to emergency they found a blood clot in my lung. Since than I never picked up a cigarette. I wish I could convey to these teenager that it is not worth going through all this misery for a cigarette.

Anonymous from Kentucky

I started smoking at the age of 17. I smoked for twenty-four and a half years. After developing bronchitis, I pushed myself into stopping. This year, I haven't smoked for 30 years. At the age of seventy-one, I am on no medication, and my doctor says that I am in very good physical condition. My daily exercise is walking 4 miles a day and dancing. Life is so enjoyable!

Anonymous from Alabama

I woke up one morning coughing my lungs out-I was so mad at my cigarettes, I quit. I made my list of good reasons to quit and my number one reason is that smoking is expensive! etc. I also made a list of reasons that I liked smoking and realized I really liked the inhaling part-it was relaxing. Then it dawned on me-Duhh I can do this with just air!

Mary from Indiana

It has only been 2 days without a cigarette for me, but I feel truly blessed. I had quit for 14 years and then started smoking again 4 years ago. When I quit for 14 years I was on nicorette or another nicotine replacement all the time. Now I have decided to go "Cold Turkey". I have been craving a cigarette, but after a minute or two I feel better. I just need NOT to give into my momentary cravings. I am 56 years old. I am going to give it my all...I want to be an ex-smoker. I only weigh 102 lbs and have high blood pressure (I am sure from smoking). When I wasn't smoking I weighed 116 lbs and looked so much healthier. My father died of lung cancer in 1981...Just remember to not smoke no matter what...one minute at a time...Lets all beat this addiction, lets not let the cigarette be our boss and us the cigarettes slave. God bless and we can all do it!

Blessed from California

Hi All, I have been smoke free for 1 week. It's weird; I cut down to just smoking on a Friday or Saturday night and then I would not smoke all week. I didn't find that hard at all and just said to myself on the weekend that a few won't hurt me. I know that is not true so decided this weekend is going to be different. I want to totally quit and not smoke anymore but today I am finding it so difficult. I know it is so silly because I go all week without even wanting one, it's just habit I suppose. Good luck to everyone!

Anonymous from Alabama

When I quit smoking, I made the decision that I HAD to do it. I told several people that I was going to do it. I switched to very light cigarettes and I picked a date for quitting (mine was Independence Day!). A few weeks before the date I started to cut down (from a previous pack-a-day)to fewer cigarettes each day. When I figured I had purchased my last carton, I rationed my cigarettes to last until "quitting day." On July 4, I actually had a few cigarettes left and quit 2 days later. July 6, 1982 is my Independence Day! I was also exercising every day, and that probably helped. I look back at this and really think that the key is in making the decision.

Anonymous from Nebraska

I have been smoke free for 2 1/2 months and feeling better now. At first the withdrawal was driving me nuts. Little did I ever realize that nicotine is like any other drug. Sure it didn't effect my behavior toward others, or interfere with my ability to work...well that is what I used to believe. Now I know how much my smoking was effecting everything in my life. I didn't do a lot of things because smoking was not allowed, and now I don't have to worry about that restriction. Was it hard to quit? You bet it was! But most definitely worth the effort, I am using Chantix to quit and it has helped me a lot. I am diabetic and had high blood pressure. My blood pressure has already returned to normal and I am seeing improvement in my blood sugar levels. So yes, it is really worth the effort to quit!

Donna from Florida

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Content last updated March 19, 2008.

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