Cigarette smoking overview.

Cigarette smoking is still a leading contributor to illness and death among Americans. Every year, almost 440,000 Americans die from the diseases caused by tobacco use, accounting for nearly one-fifth of all deaths. Tobacco usage costs the entire nation almost $100 billion each year in lost productivity and in direct medical expenses for a total cost of about 200 billion per year as estimated by the CDC.

23% of all American adults (46.2 million people) are smoking. This number has been constant for a few years despite government efforts through Healthy People 2000 and Healthy People 2010 to lower thepercentages.  More men (28.1%) smoke than women (23.5%). Hispanics (16.7%) and Asian Americans (12.4%)  are smoking less than whites (24.0%) or African Americans (22.3%). In younger age groups, almost 27% of those 18 to 24 years old are current smokers.

A significant progress has been made since 1964, when the Surgeon General started the first report demonstrated the health dangers of smoking. Since that time, the prevalence of smoking habit  has dropped from 42.4% among adults to 22.8%. Lung cancer, chronic bronchitis and emphysema would become infrequently diagnosed diseases if people would stop smoking.

Here are 13 tips how end your smoking addiction:

This page has the following sub pages.

• Know why you want to quit.
• Do not go cold Turkey.
• Try nicotine-replacement therapy
• Ask about prescription pills
• Don’t do it alone.
• Manage stress
• Avoid alcohol & other triggers.
• Clean your house
• Try and try again
• Get moving-start running
• Eat fruits and vegetables
• Choose your reward
• Do it for your health

Trackback URI | Comments RSS