WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

What are the risks to my health if I smoke tobacco? Chemicals such as nicotine in tobacco are addictive and damage every cell in your body. Tobacco is dangerous to you and to nonsmokers who breathe your secondhand smoke. Even if you are a light smoker or a social smoker, you have an increased risk for cancer, heart disease, and lung disease. If you are pregnant or have diabetes, smoking increases your risk for complications.

What are the benefits to my health if I stop smoking?

• You reduce your risk for cancers of the lung, mouth, throat, kidney, bladder, pancreas, stomach, and cervix. If you already have cancer, you increase the benefits of chemotherapy by not smoking. You also reduce your risk for cancer returning or a second cancer from developing.
  
  
• You reduce your risk for heart disease, blood clots, heart attack, and stroke.
  
  
• You reduce your risk for lung infections, and diseases such as pneumonia, asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema.
  
  
• Your circulation improves. More oxygen can be delivered to your body. If you have diabetes, you lower your risk for complications, such as kidney, artery, and eye diseases. You also lower your risk for nerve damage. Nerve damage can lead to amputations, poor vision, and blindness.
  
  
• You improve your body's ability to heal and to fight infections.

What are the health benefits to others if I stop smoking?

• You lower the risks for lung cancer and heart disease in nonsmoking adults.
  
  
• If you are pregnant, you lower the risk for miscarriage, early delivery, low birth weight, and stillbirth. You also lower your baby's risk for SIDS, obesity, developmental delay, and neurobehavioral problems, such as ADHD.
  
  
• If you have children, you lower their risk for ear infections, colds, pneumonia, bronchitis, and asthma.

Where can I find more information and support to stop smoking? Do not use e-cigarettes or smokeless tobacco in place of cigarettes or to help you quit. They still contain nicotine.

• Smokefree.gov
  Phone: 1- 800 - 784-8669
  Web Address: www.smokefree.gov
  

CARE AGREEMENT:

You have the right to help plan your care. Learn about your health condition and how it may be treated. Discuss treatment options with your caregivers to decide what care you want to receive. You always have the right to refuse treatment.