Want to take control of your health and happiness? A good place to start is by quitting smoking. Yes, it’s difficult. But the Great American Smokeout® has resources to help you go from Day 1 on Thursday, November 19, as a nonsmoker to living a smoke-free life.
Here are some tips:
- Make a plan: Select your Day 1, mark it on your calendar, and commit to it with a plan. Tell your friends. And find ways to make it easier. Like, getting rid of your cigarettes or vapes, changing your schedule, or avoiding situations that trigger your need for nicotine.
- Find support: The Wisconsin Tobacco QuitLine is a free, confidential, and non-judgmental service to help folks quit smoking vaping, or oral nicotine use. If you are a Wisconsin resident who is at least 13 years old, you can chat with them, text READY to 21586 or call a quit coach (1-800-784-8669). Resources include help with medication, coaching, and support. Specific resources for American Indians, BadgerCare+ participants, and Spanish speakers are available.
- Enjoy the benefits of quitting: Your risk of developing a bunch of different types of cancer, heart disease, stroke, heart attack, coughing and shortness of breath all dramatically drop after you quit. Plus you’ll save money, smell and look better, be free of a predatory industry, and feel unstoppable because you’ll have conquered an addiction.
- Reward yourself: Quitting nicotine is difficult. But that’s what makes it so rewarding. Each day, hour, minute that you are nicotine free is a WIN. Celebrate your wins by sharing your news with a friend, calculating how much money you’re saving, or trying something new with your newfound confidence. And if you slip up, forgive yourself and start over. You can quit nicotine—one day at a time.
The City of Milwaukee Tobacco-Free Alliance helps to improve the health of communities that have shouldered the burden of commercial tobacco. The Alliance’s members raise awareness of the benefits of quitting tobacco and nicotine products in the community, conduct retailer checks to determine which stores are selling cigarettes, vapes, and other products to people under 21, and work with decision-makers to create policies and programs that improve health. Learn more about our work in the city.
