Quitting Tobacco Use

DO YOU OR A FRIEND NEED INFORMATION ON QUITTING TOBACCO USE?

Yes, is there help available?

Quitting can be hard. You may have already tried to quit before. It’s common for a tobacco user – including smokers and vapers – to try several times before quitting successfully – and that’s OK. You learn more each time you try. QuitlineNC is a North Carolina resource. The website has lots of good information, such as this list of quit tips in English and Spanish.

• QuitlineNC is available by calling 1-800-Quit-Now, texting READY to 34191 or visiting www.quitlinenc.com.
• The Truth Initiative’s This is Quitting texting program to help young people quit vaping. Text DITCHVAPE to 88709.
• Smokefree.gov has programs to help quit smoking and vaping, including a text program and a smart phone app.

Did you know your campus health service may offer classes or counseling on quitting tobacco?

Campus healthcare providers may provide free or reduced-cost nicotine replacement medications (like gum, patches, etc.) to help you quit

What if I don’t smoke (or vape) every day?

Social smokers or vapers use tobacco regularly but not daily. They may only smoke or vape when they go out with friends.

Truth is, there is really no safe amount of tobacco. Social use of tobacco can lead to nicotine addiction and eventually disease. You don’t have to be a heavy or long-time tobacco user to get a tobacco-related disease.

Sometimes people smoke or vape around me.

If people smoke around you, you are being exposed to secondhand smoke. Breathing secondhand tobacco smoke rapidly increases inflammation of the lining of the blood vessels, which can cause heart attacks and stroke. Cigarette smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals and compounds. Hundreds are toxic and more than 70 cause cancer. Tobacco smoke itself is known to cause cancer in humans. E-cigarette emissions also contain harmful and potentially harmful substances, although the long-term effect of breathing them is unknown.

What can I do to protect myself and my friends?

• Make your home and car smoke-free zones. No one should ever smoke or vape inside your home or car.
• Protect your health and the health of your friends -- avoid places where tobacco use is allowed.