Why is it important to stop smoking?

From the Guidelines

Stopping smoking is crucial for your health and well-being, as it significantly reduces the risk of numerous serious health conditions, including lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and many other cancers, ultimately leading to improved quality of life and reduced risk of premature death. Quitting smoking has immediate and long-term benefits, such as a drop in heart rate within 20 minutes, normalization of carbon monoxide levels in the blood within 12 hours, and decrease in coughing and shortness of breath within 1-9 months 1. The most recent and highest quality study, published in 2023, emphasizes the importance of advising all individuals not to use cigarettes and other tobacco products or e-cigarettes, and including smoking cessation counseling and other forms of treatment as a routine component of diabetes care 1.

To quit smoking successfully, consider using nicotine replacement therapies like patches (21mg/24hr for heavy smokers, tapering down over 8-12 weeks), gum (2-4mg as needed), or lozenges. Prescription medications such as varenicline (Chantix, 0.5mg once daily for days 1-3, then 0.5mg twice daily for days 4-7, then 1mg twice daily for 12 weeks) or bupropion (Zyban, 150mg daily for 3 days, then 150mg twice daily for 7-12 weeks) can also be effective. Combining medication with behavioral support significantly increases success rates. Smoking damages nearly every organ in your body by introducing thousands of harmful chemicals, including at least 70 known carcinogens, that cause inflammation, oxidative stress, and DNA damage throughout your system.

Some key points to consider when quitting smoking include:

• Assessment of level of nicotine dependence, which is associated with difficulty in quitting and relapse 1
• The potential for weight gain after smoking cessation, although recent research has demonstrated that this weight gain does not diminish the substantial cardiovascular benefit realized from smoking cessation 1
• The importance of advising nonsmokers not to use e-cigarettes, as there are no rigorous studies that have demonstrated that e-cigarettes are a healthier alternative to smoking or that e-cigarettes can facilitate smoking cessation 1

Overall, the evidence suggests that stopping smoking is essential for improving health outcomes, reducing the risk of serious health conditions, and improving quality of life. The most effective approach to quitting smoking is a combination of medication and behavioral support, and healthcare professionals should prioritize smoking cessation counseling and treatment as a routine component of care.

From the FDA Drug Label

Quitting smoking can lower your chances of having lung disease, heart disease or getting certain types of cancer that are related to smoking. It is important to stop smoking because it can lower your chances of having:

• Lung disease
• Heart disease
• Certain types of cancer that are related to smoking 2

From the Research

Importance of Stopping Smoking

• Stopping smoking is crucial for reducing the risk of various health problems, including coronary heart disease, stroke, and multiple types of cancer, including lung cancer 3.
• Tobacco use is a leading preventable cause of disease globally, causing approximately 7 million deaths worldwide each year, including 6 million among tobacco users and 890,000 among nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke 3.
• Quitting smoking can dramatically reduce the incidence of primary and secondary cardiac events, and counseling and pharmacotherapy, such as nicotine replacement therapy and bupropion, are proven effective treatments for nicotine dependence 4.

Benefits of Smoking Cessation

• Smoking cessation can reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer, and can also improve overall health and well-being 3, 4.
• The use of pharmacotherapies, such as varenicline, bupropion, and nicotine replacement therapy, can enhance smoking cessation and do not increase the risk of serious cardiovascular events in the general population of smokers 5.
• Increasing knowledge about the adverse health effects of smoking can contribute to decreases in smoking, increases in cessation attempts, and increases in successful cessation 3.

Available Support for Smoking Cessation

• A wide range of support is available to help smokers quit, including first-line smoking cessation medications, such as nicotine replacement therapy, varenicline, and bupropion, as well as alternative products, such as electronic cigarettes and cytisine 6, 7.
• Counseling and pharmacotherapy can be effective treatments for nicotine dependence, and clinicians can effectively treat nicotine dependence in the general population using these methods 4.
• New medications and vaccines with significant clinical advantage are being developed and offer promise for smoking cessation 7.