Real stories from former smokers. Let these stories from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention inspire you to quit tobacco for good.
Assad was only 19 when he put his life on hold to care for his mom, Leah, a smoker who developed colorectal cancer that spread to her lungs. Asaad is devoted in every way to her care—grocery shopping and cooking, while managing the house and the budget, plus her doctors appointments all while doing everything to keep Leah’s spirits up.
It’s never easy being a single mom, but for Jessica, it’s even harder knowing that her son Aden’s asthma is likely because of secondhand smoke exposure from Jessica’s mother who watched him on the days Jessica worked. Jessica now regrets not knowing the connection between secondhand smoke exposure and asthma.
For Kristy, it took a lot to quit tobacco for good. A heavy smoker for 20 years, she used e-cigarettes to smoke less cigarettes. It was a costly decision. Today, after a collapsed lung and early chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Kristy has quit tobacco products completely.
At 16, Rebecca started smoking cigarettes. At 33, she was diagnosed with depression and even though it didn’t make her feel any better, she continued to smoke. Eventually as a result of gum disease caused by smoking, Rebecca lost some of her teeth, and that more than anything gave her the determination to quit for good.
When Tiffany was 16, she lost her mom, a smoker, to lung cancer and this loss at such a young age made her determined to quit smoking for her own daughter’s sake and wellbeing. Tiffany’s quit plan included the support of family and friends and changed more than her routine, it changed her life.
Discover more stories to inspire you to quit tobacco for good.
