Today is the Great American Smokeout, a nationwide event that encourages people all around the country to quit smoking. You can join the movement and make the commitment to quit smoking too with these tips:

• Use the step-by-step quitting guide from Smokefree.gov to create your plan for quitting. You’ll find advice on setting a quit date, building support from your friends and family and dealing with any problems that might arise when you’re trying to quit.
• Download the Quit Guide mobile app. When you’re on the go and feel a craving, you’ll have advice and support right at your fingertips.
• Know what to expect when you quit. You may experience intense nicotine cravings, as well as feel irritable or anxious. Most of these feelings are short term and will fade as you adapt to not smoking on a regular basis. In the meantime, you can find ways to help cope with these feelings.
• If you need some extra help, there are lots of products available to make it easier for you to quit smoking. Nicotine replacement products, like skin patches or gum, are available over-the-counter and supply your body with a controlled amount of nicotine without exposing you to the other chemicals in cigarettes. Other products that don’t contain nicotine are available with a prescription. You can learn about any possible side effects and then select which product might work best for you.

Find more tips and support to help you quit.

From the CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women. Smoking causes 80 to 90 percent of cases of lung cancer. Don’t smoke, and avoid secondhand smoke.

Smoking

Cigarette smoking causes lung cancer, and increases the risk for many other types of cancer. People who smoke are 10 to 20 times more likely to get or die from lung cancer than people who don’t smoke. The longer a person smokes and the more cigarettes smoked each day, the higher the risk.

For help quitting smoking, call toll-free 1-800-QUITNOW (1-800-784-8669) or visit smokefree.gov.

Secondhand Smoke

Smoke from other people’s cigarettes (secondhand smoke) causes lung cancer as well. Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, more than 50 of which cause cancer in people or animals.

Every year, about 3,000 nonsmokers die from lung cancer due to secondhand smoke.

Learn more about lung cancer.

Help protect kids from illegal tobacco sales and a lifetime of addiction. Spread the word and take the pledge.

Smokefree.gov can help you or someone you care about quit smoking. Get information and professional assistance to support both immediate and long-term needs as you become a nonsmoker.

You can get assistance in the form of:

• A step-by-step quit smoking guide
• Information about a wide range of topics related to smoking and quitting
• An interactive U.S. map highlighting smoking information in your state
• LiveHelp, National Cancer Institute’s instant messaging service
• National Cancer Institute’s telephone quitline, 1-877-44U-QUIT
• Local and state telephone quitlines, 1-800-QUIT-NOW
• Publications to download, print, or order

Learn more about the benefits of quitting smoking and find tools to help you quit.