Facts on smoking By Betty Bedner

Based on data collected by the CDC, it is estimated that adult male smokers lose 13.2 years of life and female smokers lose 14.5 years of life because of smoking. No matter what your age, quitting smoking will help you live longer and enjoy a higher quality of life. People who quit smoking before 35 years of age avoid 90% of the health risks associated with tobacco. Even those who quit later in life can significantly reduce their risk of dying at a younger age. Ex-smokers enjoy a higher quality of life, reporting better overall health. They also have fewer illnesses from flu viruses and colds, and fewer occurrences of bronchitis and pneumonia.

Smoking is also hard on your pocketbook, with the average American smoker spending an estimated $3,391 per year on their habit.

Quitting smoking also offers immediate rewards, which can improve your day-to-day life, such as:

• Food tastes better
• Sense of smell returns to normal
• Ordinary activities no longer leave you out of breath (such as going up stairs).

Quitting stops the damagng effects on your appearance, as well, including:

• Premature wrinkling of the skin
• Stained teeth
• Yellow fingernails
• Gum disease

Help is available. A combination of a medicine, emotional support, and a method to change personal habits is what most people need to quit smoking once and for all.

The free Pennsylvania Quitline (877-724-1090) links the caller with a trained counselor. It is available nights and weekends. These specialists help plan a quit method that fits each person's unique pattern of tobacco use. You call before you quit and plan a "quit date" in advance. People who use the Quitline are twice as likely to quit smoking as those who do not. With guidance from a counselor, people can avoid the common mistakes that may hurt a person's quit attempt.

The American Cancer Society Quitline: 877-937-7848
Pregnant Women Quitline: 866-667-8278