Quitting smoking is a gift to yourself. It's one of the best things you can do to keep your heart disease from getting worse. Smoking reduces oxygen flow to your heart. It does this in two ways. It speeds the buildup of plaque along the artery walls. And it makes the health of your blood vessels worse. This raises your risk for heart attack, also known as acute myocardial infarction. Quitting helps reduce smoking's harmful effects. You may have tried to quit before. But don’t give up. Try again. Many smokers try a few times before they succeed. It's never too early to benefit from quitting smoking. This is especially true if you already have ongoing (chronic) conditions, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. These put you at higher risk for cardiovascular disease. Quitting smoking is a powerful way to reduce your risk for coronary disease.
Line up help
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Ask for the support of your family and friends.
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Join a smoking cessation class. Or ask your doctor for a referral to a psychologist or other professional who specializes in helping people quit smoking.
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Ask your doctor about nicotine replacement products. Also ask about prescription medicines that can help you quit. It may take some time to find a product and plan that works for you.
Set a quit date
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Choose a date in the next 2 to 4 weeks.
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After you pick a day, mark it in bold letters on a calendar.
Your quit list
Some ideas to quit are:
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Start by giving up cigarettes at the times you least need them.
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Keep some fruit close by. This helps at the times you're most likely to reach for a cigarette. For many people, smoking satisfies a need to have something in the mouth. When you understand this need, you can replace it with a healthy habit.
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Use a nicotine replacement product instead of a cigarette.
Write down a few more ideas:
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Set limits
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Limit where you can smoke. Pick a room or a porch. Smoke only in that place.
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Make smoking outdoors a house rule. Other smokers won’t tempt you as much.
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Talk with smokers around you about your goal to stop smoking. Then they can be considerate and limit their smoking around you.
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Hang a list of “quit benefits” in the spot where you smoke. Put your list on the refrigerator and another on your car dashboard.
For more information
National Cancer Institute Smoking Quitline
smokefree.gov/talk-to-an-expert
877-44U-QUIT (877-448-7848)
Featured in
Online Medical Reviewer: Callie Tayrien RN MSN
Online Medical Reviewer: Stacey Wojcik MBA BSN RN
Online Medical Reviewer: Steven Kang MD
Date Last Reviewed: 06/01/2025
© 2000-2026 The StayWell Company, LLC. All rights reserved. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your healthcare professional's instructions.
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