One of the best things you can do for your health is to quit smoking or using any kind of tobacco. Quitting isn’t easy, but the rewards make it worth the effort.

Quitting earlier in life is best, but it’s a big boost to your health at any age. “Even people who have smoked for many years or have smoked heavily will benefit from quitting,” says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Quitting can help:

• Improve your health and quality of life.
• Cut the chance of premature death. It can add as much as 10 years to your life expectancy.
• Lower the chance of getting many health problems, such as cancer, heart disease and stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 

What’s the Harm?

The longer you continue to smoke, the more it will harm your lungs. Smoking causes inflammation in the lungs and reduces the amount of oxygen that flows through them. Smoking also damages air sacs in the lungs, so smokers have a harder time breathing.

Studies show smokers are also more likely to get the flu or pneumonia than those who don’t smoke. And if they get the flu or pneumonia, it’s harder for smokers to make a full recovery.

Smoking puts you at much higher risk for serious health problems like COPD and asthma, heart disease, stroke, and several types of cancer. In fact, if you're a smoker, talk to your doctor about lung cancer screening. 

It’s also harmful to those around you, especially to people who have asthma. 

How To Quit

Quitting is hard, but you can raise your chances of success by getting help, says the American Cancer Society. 

You can get free smoking cessation coaching through a “quit line” or with a mobile app. You can go to a class or use a medicine to help you stop. It might be helpful to start with small cutbacks to how much you smoke or use smokeless tobacco.

Once you’ve prepared, set a day to quit. Some things that can help:

• Mark it on your calendar.
• Tell friends and family.
• Get rid of all the cigarettes, ashtrays or smokeless tobacco products in your home and car.

Consider joining the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout.  Held on the third Thursday of November, the event encourages smokers to take action and make a plan to quit. Some smokers even quit for good that day.

Your Doctor Can Help
Talk to your doctor about how to quit. There are medicines and many aids and resources available to help you successfully give up smoking. Your health plan may cover the cost of medicine and counseling to support you. Call the number on your member ID card to find out what your plan covers.

Can Vaping Help You Quit Smoking?
Smokers who want to quit may think vaping can help them give up cigarettes. In reality, vaping can make it harder. Studies show vaping is just as addictive as smoking cigarettes. And most e-cigarettes are more harmful than the other methods for quitting. Learn more about vaping and smoking.

Sources: Benefits of Quitting Smoking,  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024; How to Quit Smoking,  CDC, 2023; How to Quit Using Tobacco,  American Cancer Society; Great American Smokeout,  American Cancer Society; COPD,  National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health (NHLBI), 2023

Originally published 9/29/2021; Revised 2023