Diane M. Yoakam RN, MSN, CEN, HealthAtoZ contributing writer

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If you are currently using tobacco products, why not join the millions of smokers who participate in the American Cancer Society's annual Great American Smokeout, by agreeing to stop smoking for a 24-hour period? This could very well be the single event that transforms you into a "former smoker" and leads the way to a healthier lifestyle for the twenty-first century.

Don't wait until it is too late to quit. Learn the facts about smoking today.

1. Your chances of getting lung cancer are 10 times greater than a nonsmoker.
2. You are twice as likely to have a heart attack.
3. Cigarette smoking is strongly linked with emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
4. Cigarette smoke contains about 4,000 chemicals. Many are poisonous and over 40 of them are linked to cancer.
5. Pregnant women who smoke increase their risk of having a stillborn or low birth weight infant.
6. Cigarette smoke is harmful to everyone who inhales it, including those who do not smoke themselves.
7. Children of smokers are twice as likely to pick up the habit when they grow older.

Get ready to quit. Find out if you have what it takes to stop smoking.

1. Do you want to stop smoking?
2. Are you willing to make some changes in your daily routine?
3. Are you prepared to deal with some challenging moments once you make the commitment to quit?

If you answered yes to these questions, you are ready to stop smoking now.

Develop a plan. Take control of your addiction today.

1. Pick a day to stop smoking. Each November during the Great American Smokeout, millions of other Americans will stop smoking too.
2. Tell your family and friends about your plans. You will need their encouragement when you feel the urge to light up.
3. Get rid of all your cigarettes, lighters, and ashtrays since you will no longer need them.
4. Be prepared to feel the urge to light up. The urge will be strong at first, but will later diminish. If you have had difficulty stopping smoking in the past, contact your physician about trying nicotine chewing gum. Many employers now offer classes to help those who are trying to quit smoking.

Keep smoking a thing of the past. Focus on the positives.

1. The nicotine in cigarettes is addictive. Your body will eventually adjust to the absence of nicotine, but as it does you may experience some bodily changes.

• Initially, without nicotine you may feel nervous or irritable.
• Since nicotine is a stimulant, you may feel tired when you first stop smoking.
• People often mistake their urge for a cigarette for hunger, don't eat to get rid of your urge to smoke.
• Coughing is a way that your body gets rid of the extra mucus that has been clogging your lungs. The cough may seem worse in the beginning, but it will subside as time goes by.

2. Start a savings jar to collect money that you would have spent on tobacco. Reward yourself with a gift to celebrate your first month of smoke-free living.
3. Schedule a dental appointment. Get your teeth and mouth feeling clean and fresh.
4. Recognize that you are not perfect. If you have a slipup, and light up, don't let yourself become a smoker again. Remember all of the reasons why you have quit. Don't start again. Call a friend, or better yet, find someone who has been successful at quitting and call him or her.

Q and A: Smoking

Do you know your facts about smoking? Click to see the answers to these questions!

Does smoking really cause cancer?
How does cigarette smoke affect the lungs?
Is it ever too late to quit smoking?
What is nicotine replacement therapy?
How can I keep from gaining weight when I stop smoking?
How can I handle stress if I cannot light up?

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External Sources American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures 1998. Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society, 1998 National Cancer Institute. PDQ Physician Statement, 1996 Great American Smokeout: ACS

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.