QUIT SMOKING

WHY SHOULD I QUIT?

There are many reasons why people choose to quit smoking. What is most important is to find the reasons that you care about most and will motivate you. Quitting will make you feel better and improve your health. But there are many other reasons to quit that you might not have thought about.

I will decrease my risk of disease including lung cancer (which smoking is the #1 cause of), other cancers, emphysema, heart disease, high blood pressure, ulcers and reflux, erectile and sexual dysfunction, kidney disease, and other conditions.
I will have a stronger immune system and be less likely to catch colds or the flu, and will be able to recover quicker if I do get sick.
I will breathe easier, cough less, and have less sore throats and stuffy noses.
My skin will look healthier and I will look more youthful (smoking causes wrinkles and dull skin!). My teeth and fingernails will not be stained.

Want to be healthier?

I will have more money to spend (a 1 pack-per-day habit costs $2,200/year!).
I can spend more time with family, catch up on work, or dive into my favorite hobby.
I won't have to worry about when I can smoke next or where I can or can't smoke.
My food will taste better and I will be able to smell food, flowers, and other things better.
My car‚ home‚ clothes and kids won't smell like smoke.

Want a better lifestyle?

I will set a great example for my kids; it takes a lot of strength to quit.
My friends, family, co-workers, and other loved ones will be proud of me.
I will protect my friends and family from the dangers of secondhand smoke.
My children will be healthier (respiratory and ear infections are much more common among children exposed to secondhand smoke).
I will have more energy to do the things I love with friends and family.
I will make sure I am around to share in my family's special moments (life expectancy for smokers is at least 10 years shorter than for nonsmokers).

Want a better family life?

What are your reasons?

Write down a list of all the reasons that motivate you to quit. Keep the list in a place where you will see it often, like your car or where you used to keep your cigarettes and remind yourself of them every day. It can inspire you to stop smoking for good.

HOW TO QUIT?

There is no best way to quit smoking. Everyone has different smoking patterns, habits, levels of addiction, and preferences. What works best for one person may have little impact on someone else. Once you decide you want to quit, there are some steps to personalize your plan to quit.

5 Steps of Planning

Step 1: Decide– cold turkey or quitting aid?

Step 2: Set a quit date and tell people about it

Step 3: Think of the times you will want to smoke (triggers) and write them down.

Step 4: Come up with ways to deal with your triggers and write down 2-3 things you'll do instead for each trigger

Step 5: Get support– from family, friends, or the CA Smokers Helpline!

Most people try a number of times before they quit for good. So it’s important to keep trying. Every quit attempt is a success, no matter how long it lasts.

There’s a lot to learn from each time you try. What worked and what didn’t work?

Keep in mind that you never fail unless you stop trying.

REMEMBER:

NEED SUPPORT?

Counselors are available weekdays, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Smokers: 1-800-NO-BUTTS (1-800-662-8887)
Vape Users: 1-844-8-NO-VAPE (1-844-866-8273)
Tobacco Chewers: 1-800-844-CHEW (1-800-844-2439)
Chinese: 1-800-838-8917
Korean: 1-800-556-5564
Spanish: 1-800-45-NO-FUME (1-800-456-6386)
Vietnamese: 1-800-778-8440

Enroll online and they'll call you!

Kick It California (previously the CA Smokers Helpline), offers free, personalized quit services in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese.

RESEARCH SHOWS THAT A SINGLE CALL INCREASES THE CHANCES OF QUITTING.

Free Nicotine Patches

Cigarette smokers over 18-years-old in California can receive a free, two-week starter kit of nicotine patches (if eligible and while supplies last) mailed directly to their homes.

Call the California Smokers' Helpline at 1-800-NO-BUTTS.

Get tips from Alexa through the "Stop Smoking Coach" & "Stop Vaping Coach" skills.

Enable the skills from Amazon.com or your Alexa app.

Alexa Skills

Stop Smoking & Stop Vaping today

PREFER TO TEXT?

TEXT “No Smokes“ to 66819

TEXT “NoVapes“ to 66819

Content was adapted from the CA Smokers Helpline and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)

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