Quit Smoking
Quitting at 65+ adds years.
Worth it at any age
- Quit at 65 = add 1.4 years to life.
- BP, heart rate normalize within hour.
- Lung capacity improves 30% in 9 months.
- Heart attack risk halves in 1 year.
- Stroke risk lower in 5 years.
- Even 1 month no smoke = significant health gains.
- Never too late.
Best quit methods
- Chantix (varenicline) — pill, 12 weeks. Most effective.
- Nicotine replacement — patches, gum, lozenges.
- Bupropion (Wellbutrin/Zyban) — pill.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
- Combine — most effective.
- Medicare covers all.
Free quit help
- 1-800-QUIT-NOW — federal hotline. Free counseling.
- Smokefree.gov — free quit plan.
- QuitGuide app — free.
- Nicotine Anonymous — free meetings.
- State quit lines — free counseling + sometimes free patches.
- Free + effective.
Vaping is NOT safer
- EVALI — vaping lung disease, sometimes fatal.
- Still nicotine = addiction.
- Long-term effects unknown.
- Not approved as quit aid by FDA.
- Use FDA-approved methods instead.
- Don't replace one bad habit with another.
When to try harder
- Most quitters need 5-7 attempts.
- Each attempt is progress.
- Slip ≠ failure.
- Tell family — accountability.
- Find triggers — replace habits.
- Get cravings? 5-min exercise breaks them.
For loved ones
If you smoke, your spouse/grandchild's exposure to secondhand smoke = real harm. Many quit FOR family. Set quit date. Get support. Quitting hardest at first 30 days. Worth it.