Addiction
Quitting Facts
Here are the facts about quitting: why it’s better for you and what to expect along the way.
Here are the facts about quitting: why its better for you and what to expect along the way. Hover over each fact to learn more.
Quitting smoking cuts your lung cancer risk compared to those who keep smoking.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Cigarettes and cancer. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/about/cigarettes-and-cancer.html#:~:text=The%20risk%20of%20developing%20cancer%20decreases%20over%20time:&text=5%20to%2010%20years%20after,cancer%20drops%20by%20about%20half
Quitting tobacco improves mental health, reducing anxiety, stress, and depression.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Tobacco use and quitting among individuals with behavioral health conditions: What we know. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/health-equity/behavioral-health/pdfs/behavioral-health-p.pdf
After quitting, most relapses happen in the first 3 months, but they can happen anytime.
García‑Rodríguez, O., Secades‑Villa, R., Flórez‑Salamanca, L., Okuda, M., Liu, S.-M., & Blanco, C. (2013). Probability and predictors of relapse to smoking: Results of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 132(3), 479–485. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.03.008
People who team up with their doctors have a better shot at quitting for good.
Naldi L. (2016). Psoriasis and smoking: links and risks. Psoriasis (Auckland, N.Z.), 6, 65–71. https://doi.org/10.2147/PTT.S85189
Quitting tobacco helps you stay off other drugs and lowers the risk of relapse.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, May 15). What we know: Tobacco use and quitting among individuals with behavioral health conditions (Behavioral-health-p). https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/health-equity/behavioral-health/pdfs/behavioral-health-p.pdf
People think quitting increases stress, but it actually lowers it.
Parrott, A. C., & Murphy, R. S. (2012). Explaining the stress-inducing effects of nicotine to cigarette smokers. Human psychopharmacology, 27(2), 150–155. https://doi.org/10.1002/hup.1247
QUIT TIPS
Pick a quit day
Ideally within two weeks. Give yourself a clear start date so you can plan and hype yourself up for it.
Clear your space
Toss anything that might tempt you in your room, your car, your backpack—basically everywhere.
Be Ready
Tough moments will pop up, especially in the first weeks. Knowing this ahead of time makes them easier to handle.
Keep vapes away
Ask friends not to vape around you. Being around it can make quitting harder—make it easier on yourself.
Know your why
Remember why you’re quitting: better health, more money, feeling like yourself again. Keep those reasons close.
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