Forms & Information

Q: "My 65-year-old father has been smoking for decades and refuses to quit. He knows smoking causes cancer but says quitting will do no good because the damage is already done. Would quitting now do anything to reduce his risk?"

Q: “I’m 23 years old, and the thing I regret most is putting that first cigarette in my mouth. I’ve been smoking for three years, 18 to 25 cigarettes a day. Today, I decided to quit. In three years of smoking, how much did I damage my body? Is there any chance of becoming as healthy as a lifelong nonsmoker?”

Q: "I quit smoking 15 years ago after smoking a pack or two a day for 28 years. Now I want to do all I can to lessen the effects of my earlier bad habits. Are there any dietary measures, supplements or other strategies you know of that may help prevent cancer?"

Q: “I’m 17, and I've smoked twice in my life, both times last month. Now I’m coughing and my chest has a raw feeling to it. I’m not coughing up blood and I don't have shortness of breath, but I did hold the smoke in my mouth, and I breathed a little second-hand smoke, too. Could I have lung cancer?”

Q: “Are electronic cigarettes safe to use? What about other smoking alternatives, like herbal cigarettes and hookahs?”

Q: "Both of my parents smoked their entire lives and never developed lung cancer. My father's parents were the same. With this family history, do I still need to worry about lung cancer? I only smoke about a pack a week."

Tobacco use today is a pediatric epidemic. According to the Surgeon General’s 2012 report, Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults, adolescents are especially susceptible to the dangers of smoking and nicotine addiction.

If you smoke, one of the most important steps you can take to improve your health is to quit smoking. Providence Health & Services supports you in this effort. The resources below can help you stop smoking for good.

Quitting smoking is not easy. It takes most people an average of six tries before they finally quit for good – but you can up your success rate with the right combination of motivation and support.

Facts about smoking and cardiovascular disease:

You already know that smoking is unhealthy. The word has been out since the first Surgeon General’s Report in 1964. One out of four smokers will die from their tobacco addiction. More than 420,000 will die this year. It is the single most preventable cause of death or illness in our country.

Imagine, for a moment, being inside your lungs, watching the millions of tiny hairs called cilia do their job of filtering out impurities. Then, observe as the smoke from one cigarette invades the lungs, paralyzing the cilia for 24 hours.

Let’s get specific: Review this chart to remind yourself of the risks of smoking and the benefits of quitting.

The American Cancer Society’s guide to quitting smoking including questions people need to know about quitting and the steps to do so.

The American Lung Association website is a patient and care provider resource with information about respiratory illnesses from asthma to emphysema. Includes causes, warning signs and symptoms, research and patient care treatment resources.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services resource page on Smoking Cessation including a quick guide to healthy living and tools to quit.

National Cancer Institute’s overview of Prevention and steps for how to get into a cessation program.

National Cancer Institute’s page on free resources available to help someone quit smoking, including the national Quit Line.

NOPE365 is a free network of thousands of fellow quitters who will help pull you up the mountain and hold you steady at the top.