Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Tobacco Use
Many people sign up for free help from Quitline to stop using tobacco, feel healthier and improve their productivity. If you enroll in the Quitline program, you will work with a specially trained Coach for several weeks to help you quit and stay quit for good. You may be eligible for free medications that will help you quit. Quitting smoking can be difficult, but it is one of the best ways you can protect you, your health, and your family’s health.
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What is the best way to quit?
There is not one way to quit, and you will find the best way that works for you. Most people who quit for good get some type of help that is proven to work. Setting a quit date, letting people know how to support your plan, learning new ways to deal with stress, and managing nicotine cravings are the important steps to quitting. Working with a professional who specializes in tobacco use cessation can increase your chances of quitting by nearly 50%. Many people use medication such as nicotine patches, gum, or lozenges to stop smoking.
How the Quitline Can Help You
The Quitline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is FREE. Our Coaches are Tobacco Treatment Specialists here to listen, help you create a plan that works for you and find a medication to improve your chances of quitting. Your Coach can also give you tools to talk to your family and friends about how to help you chart a course to living a life free from cigarettes and tobacco. You can quit with help from the Quitline.
Why is Quitting Important?
There are many benefits from quitting tobacco for you and your family members. Quitting smoking increases your chances of improving your health as well as those of your family members. Here are some benefits you might see:
- Having a healthier baby and supporting healthy child development by reducing toxic chemicals from secondhand smoke.
- Improves performance in school and at work when you no longer are dependent on nicotine to function.
- Quitting lowers the risk of chronic problems and improves quality of life for you and your family.
- Save money for things you care about like a better future for your children and grandchildren.
- Quitting can improve your family relations when family members see you quitting as a showing how much you care for them.
Things to consider when quitting
In many Asian American and Pacific Islander families, maintaining the health and productivity of family members is important. Smoking is highly addictive, and the negative effects influence your work or school performance, and the health of family members because of secondhand smoke. The good news is most people can and do quit! Getting help with quitting makes the process easier and increases your chance of quitting for good.
Some experiences in your life may make quitting more challenging because of the stress they create. Conflict within your family, stress from racism or discrimination, or feeling pressure to succeed at school or work are common stressors that many people report. You may use smoking as a way to cope with the stress or anxiety. Learning to deal with stress without tobacco is one of the most important steps in quitting for good.
Quitting smoking can be difficult, but it is one of the best ways you can protect your health, and your family’s health and wellbeing for the future. Our Coaches have been trained to help you chart a path that will best meet your needs and help you be successful with quitting. The Quitline is here to help you!
Cigarette smoking causes 1 in every 5 deaths each year. Tobacco harms every organ in the body and is the #1 cause of preventable death in the United States. On average, tobacco use takes away 10 years of life by raising the risk of these serious health conditions:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Heart disease
- Several types of cancer including cancer of the lung, throat, mouth, esophagus, pancreas, bladder, and cervix and leukemia
- Respiratory diseases
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Emphysema
- Chronic bronchitis
Tobacco smoke also affects and worsens many other diseases such as diabetes, vascular disease, and osteoporosis. It can contribute to these other problems:
- Gum and tooth disease
- Halitosis (bad breath)
- Reduced ability to taste food and drinks
- Wrinkles
- Yellow teeth
Tobacco’s Effects on Others
Tobacco doesn’t just affect the person who chooses to use it. Smoking can be dangerous to the people and pets around you. People who live in or around your cigarette smoke, even just occasionally, could suffer in these ways:
- They have an increased risk of lung cancer.
- Children near you are more likely to have sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), asthma, lung problems, and ear infections.
- Unborn babies are more likely to be born early and at a low birth weight. They are more likely to have birth defects including cleft palate and other health problems.
- Pets have increased risks of cancers when they breathe in secondhand smoke, or when they lick smoke particles that stick to their fur.
There are many reasons to quit tobacco and the Quitline can help you start your quit journey off right. We’ll help you identify how quitting tobacco can help your health and relationships.
What’s your why? Explore our
interactive tools to find out why quitting is important to you.