Friday, January 17, 2014

Thinking About Quitting Smoking? You're Not Alone, and We Have Resources to Help



In a report released January 16, the Centers for Disease Control noted that the rate of smoking has now reached a historic low — just 18 percent of the population smoked cigarettes in 2012, dropping below 20 percent level, where smoking rates had hovered for several years. In the report, the CDC credits the decline to increased cigarette taxes and to aggressive nationwide anti-smoking campaigns. The report comes 50 years after the first Surgeon General’s report on smoking in 1964, when cartoon characters still appeared in TV ads for cigarettes and 42 percent of the population smoked.

Though great strides have been made over the last 50 years, the CDC report notes that more than 42 million Americans still smoke cigarettes. If you’re one of those people and you’re looking to quit, there are several resources available to help you. Online, there’s the American Lung Association, which has a whole section of its website dedicated to smoking cessation. So does the American Heart Association. The National Cancer Institute has a page dedicated to where you can go to get help when you decide to quit (or to help someone you know quit smoking). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also has a website devoted to helping people stop smoking.

St. Louis Public Library also has some great books, CDs, and DVDs related to quitting smoking. Here are just a handful of those available in our catalog:

  • The Smoke-free Smoke Break: Stop Smoking Now with Mindfulness and Acceptance by Pavel G. Somov and Marla J. Somova
  • The Easiest Way to Stop Smoking: Finding the Way That Works Best for You by Heath Dingwell
  • Kicking Butts: Quit Smoking and Take  Charge of Your Health by the American Cancer Society
  • Simple Principles to Quit Smoking by Alex A. Lluch
  • While You Quit: A Smoker's Guide to Reducing the Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke by Theodore Fenske
  • Stop Smoking: Beautiful Music and Subliminal Affirmations to Support Your Success (CD) by Steven Halpern

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