If you’re reading this article, there’s a good chance you’ve already taken a giant step toward quitting smoking because you are actively thinking about doing so and trying to find out more information about how and why to accomplish your goal.

That’s good, because smoking continues to be the leading cause of preventable death and disability in the United States. According to the CDC’s 2004 report on tobacco, cigarette smoking causes more than 440,000 deaths every year, and more than 8.6 million Americans have at least one serious illness caused by smoking. Since the first Surgeon General’s report linking smoking to health problems came out in 1964, more than 12 million people have died from a smoking-related disease. If current trends continue, 6.4 million people who are under the age of 18 today will end up dying long before their time from a disease caused directly by their smoking habit.

Smoking also does a lot of damage to our nonsmoking friends and family. Women who smoke while pregnant, for example, are more likely to have babies who don’t weigh enough or who die from sudden infant death syndrome. Young children who live with smokers are more likely to have respiratory problems. And secondhand smoke causes about 3,000 deaths from lung cancer and 35,000 deaths from heart disease among nonsmokers every year.

But you don’t have to become a smoking statistic! The results of a 50-year study of smoking published in 2004 in the prestigious British Medical Journal show even people who have smoked a long time can reduce their risk of dying from a smoking-related disease. Quit by age 50 and your risk will be about half what it would be if you continued to smoke. Quit by age 30 and your risk of dying will be almost the same as someone who never smoked.

So, continue checking out the smoking cessation resources on LungHealthOnline.com. We have everything you need to kick the habit and kick it for good!

Why is Smoking So Addictive?

A Step-Wise Approach to Quitting

Tips for Becoming Tobacco Free

Tips for Teens Who Smoke

Attention Teens: Smoking is Hurting Your Health Right Now

Nicotine Replacement Therapy: How It Works and Why You Should Try It

What to Look for in a Smoking Cessation Program

Is It Ever Too Late to Quit?

Smokeless Tobacco is Not a Safe Alternative to Cigarettes

What’s the Big Deal about Secondhand Smoke?

Fun Facts about Quitting Smoking