Ready to quit smoking? Here's how

FDA Consumer, May-June, 2005 by John Henkel

Sure, you've been thinking about quitting the smoking habit. Of course, there are lots of reasons to quit. You may be concerned about the effects of smoking on your health or the money you spend on cigarettes. Or maybe you'd just like to set a better example. Whatever the reasons, you can get help with quitting by going to smokefree.gov, a site that offers five different ways to help you begin and follow through on the quitting process.

Created by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the site offers an online "cessation guide" that walks you through the steps necessary to quit. You'll find solid advice for overcoming potential stumbling blocks to quitting such as cigarette cravings or "sneaking a smoke."

Also, the site has a "Did You Know ..." page with more than three dozen facts about smokers, along with research citations to back them up. Examples: Your appeal to the opposite sex could triple as a nonsmoker, and your immune system improves every day after you quit.

Perhaps you'd like some human contact to help you. The site offers three routes:

* lists of state and local telephone quitlines

* NCI's national telephone quitline (800) QUIT-NOW (784-8669)

* NCI's instant messaging service.

The site also has several publications that can be downloaded, including materials for smokers older than 50, and for those who have recently quit. There's also a booklet on quitting for Spanish-speaking smokers.

To get started on the road to being a nonsmoker, or to get information to help a loved one quit, go to www.smokefree. gov.

John Henkel is a member of the FDA's Website Management Staff.

COPYRIGHT 2005 U.S. Government Printing Office
COPYRIGHT 2006 Gale Group

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