For many of us, the habit of smoking was so overpowering and enslaving that breaking free of it brings on a re-birth of sorts. We emerge from the ashes of nicotine addiction changed, often in profound ways. Terri's quit story is a beautiful example of this transformation, and her words are sure to inspire you.

From Terri:

"I've attempted to stop smoking numerous times during the last 30 years. Some periods of smoking cessation were fairly long -- 6 years, 2 years, 10 months, 6 months. But, during each of those quit attempts, I never thought that I was really finished with smoking. I felt like a smoker who was not smoking."

More Quit Stories

• EB's Story

• Ben's Story

• Jane's Story

_{Photo © Terri}

Curb cigarette cravings as they come, one-by-one. The most effective way to do that is to interrupt your thought pattern on the spot. Shift gears and do something different for a few minutes. Get out for a walk; drink a glass of water; stand up and do a few minutes of stretching. Change your activity, either mentally or physically, and the urge to smoke will lose its power and be gone before you know it.

• 5 Minute Craving Busters

• 101 Things to Do Instead of Smoking

_{Photo © Stockxpert}

According to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), smoking cessation can substantially reduce the risk of certain fatal diseases for women within just 5 years.

The study, conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, followed approximately 100,000 women between 1980 and 2004, and compared mortality rates of certain diseases between smokers, former smokers and never smokers.

Study Highlights:

• 13 percent reduction in overall risk of mortality within the first 5 years of smoking cessation when compared with continuing to smoke.
• 50 percent decrease in the risk of cardiovascular disease, specifically, coronary heart disease.
• 21 percent decrease in the risk of dying from lung cancer.

"There's such a great decline in the risk of some diseases that women who are contemplating whether or not to quit should really see a benefit quickly with smoking cessation," says Stacey Kenfield, of the Harvard School of Public Health. "Once you remove the carcinogens from tobacco smoke from your body, your body is able to repair itself."

WOMEN WHO QUIT SMOKING CAN DECREASE THEIR RISK OF CERTAIN FATAL DISEASES WITHIN JUST FIVE YEARS - News Video

Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States today, with cigarette smoking being directly linked to 87 percent of lung cancer deaths and 30 percent of heart disease deaths.

Take charge and change your life -- quit smoking now.

Resources to Help You Quit Smoking:

• Quit Smoking 101 - A Free Email Course

• Products to Help You Quit Smoking

• Smoking Cessation Support Forum

_{Photo ©: Stockxpert}

There is no better teacher than the voice of experience, and when it comes nicotine withdrawal, there are no better teachers than the members of the About.com Smoking Cessation forum. They are an important resource for the new quitter, and their tips on managing nicotine withdrawal are some of the best -- creative, practical, and real.

Settle in and read what they have to say, and when you're done, print this article out and keep it handy. Next thing you know, you'll be the one sharing the tips that helped you most -- with smoking comfortably in your past.

Additional Resources:

• Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms

• 5 Minute Craving Busters

• Top 10 Tips For Managing Nicotine Withdrawal

_{Photo © Stockxpert}

Cigarettes put a significant strain on our environment with trillions of cigarette butts discarded annually. The toxins trapped in filters leach into the ground and waterways, polluting our planet.

When you quit smoking, you're making a significant contribution toward a better world for all of us, not to mention your own precious health.

Toxins in Cigarettes:

• Tar
• Cadmium
• Pesticides

More Chemicals in Cigarette Smoke

_{Photo © Photoxpert}

The habit of smoking is a love/hate relationship of the greatest proportions, and for most of us, breaking free of nicotine addiction brings on a re-birth of sorts. We emerge from the ashes of our smoking habits changed, often in profound ways.

Members of our Smoking Cessation support forum here at About.com have expressed this transformation through goodbye letters, a few of which are highlighted below. They are poignant accounts of the unhealthy attachments we had to smoking, and the perspective and growth we experience once we leave the habit behind.

The Seduction

From Leslie:

"At the beginning, I only pretended to like you. You see, I wanted so badly to fit in, to belong. And you were so popular, so glamourous. I hung out with you now and then just to be 'cool' by association. I was such an awkward girl, and it seemed that hanging out with you made me look more interesting, a little edgy."

More Goodbye Letters

• My Darling...

• I Will Survive!

• From Loss Comes Strength

_{Photo © Leslie Bainbridge}

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), emphysema affects over 2 million Americans, the majority of whom are 50 years old and over.

A poignant account of how emphysema impacts a person's life was highlighted in this New York Times article:

• Desperate to Cry, Desperate Not to

Emphysema is a slow killer, progressing gradually over a period of many years. The damage done to the lungs with emphysema is irreversible, but if a person stops smoking early on in the disease, it may be possible to arrest further development and improve one's quality of life.

More:

• Emphysema Causes and Symptoms

• Diagnosing Emphysema

• Emphysema Photo Gallery

_{Illustration courtesy of A.D.A.M.}

The body of research on the deadly effects of secondhand smoke continues to grow. For smokers and nonsmokers alike, there is no safe level of exposure.

Anti-tobacco legislation aimed at protecting the youngest, most vulnerable members of our society is taking hold in many parts of the world as well, and it's good to see. After all, if we don't watch out for our kids, who will? Big Tobacco? Not likely.

In the News:

Law Prohibiting Smoking in Cars Gets the OK in Maine
AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. John Baldacci on Thursday signed into law a ban on smoking in any vehicle when children under 16 are present.

• Secondhand Smoke and Children

Atlantic City Casino Smoking Ban
ATLANTIC CITY - The nine-member Atlantic City Council voted unanimously yesterday to approve a controversial measure that would prohibit smoking on all casino floors for the first time in the seaside resort's 30-year history of gambling.

• Secondhand Smoke Facts

Russia Jumps on the Anti-Smoking Bandwagon
MOSCOW, April 11 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's lower house of parliament ratified on Friday a global convention against smoking, which the World Health Organization says kills 5 million people across the world annually.

• The Tobacco Epidemic

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Grandson of tobacco tycoon, R.J. Reynolds, Patrick Reynolds has spent the last 20 years of his life trying to stop big tobacco in its tracks by raising the awareness of those who can really make a difference in the tobacco industry’s future - our youth. Why? Because upwards of 90% of tobacco users are addicted to nicotine by the age of 19.

Mr Reynold's recent video production, A Talk With Your Kids About Smoking reviews a number of issues and facts about smoking that will help our kids see and understand the bigger picture...one in which they are the target of a huge, money hungry industry.

Related:

• Smoking Facts for Parents and Teens

• Talking to Your Kids About The Dangers of Smoking

• Teen Smoking Screening Quiz

_{Images courtesy of tobaccofree.org}

Your commitment to quit smoking permanently will be much easier to sustain if you have strong, positive support around you. Friends and family can be helpful, but they may not understand the depth of what smoking cessation means to you, especially if they've never smoked.

Use the support offered at our Smoking Cessation Forum here at About.com. You'll meet people who are going through what you are, or have been there and can offer constructive advice. Your resolve will be bolstered more than you can imagine just by being around others who have the same goals you do. Stop in and browse as a guest, or register (free) and join the conversation.

Current Forum Discussions:

Silently Suffering
"I just need to talk. I am on day 4 and it seems like it is getting worse instead of better. All I think about is smoking just one....I have to talk to myself and understand I am doing the right thing..."

3 Month Urges
"My quit day was January 7, 2008. I used Chantix (WOW!) and have been off of it for about 4 weeks now. This week I suddenly have some incredibly strong urges to smoke. At times I am thinking, is it worth it? It's never is far from my mind- however I do have lapses of time when I don't think about smoking. When can I expect some release from urges?"

April's Journey
" I have smoked since I was 13 and I am now 35, what a waste of my lungs! It makes me angry that I let cigarettes have such control over me for 22 years, but no more! I am using Chantix this go around."

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