Smoking is the single, largest, preventable cause of death and illness in the world. It’s estimated that smoking causes about 480,000 deaths each year as it is a risk factor for stroke and heart disease as well as lung cancer and respiratory illnesses. The Great AmericanSmokeout, which takes place on the third Thursday of every November, is a great place to begin the journey of being smoke free. Shabbir Motiwala, M.D., a primary care physician with Piedmont Physicians at South Columbus urges smokers to quit starting on Thursday, Nov. 17, if not sooner.

“Quitting smoking produces many benefits, regardless of how long you’ve been a smoker,” said Dr. Motiwala. “Not only will your lung function and circulation improve within the first few weeks, your risk of heart attack is reduced and your risk of heart disease is half of that of a smoker after a year.” 

Quitting smoking doesn’t just benefit you, but also everyone around you. Smoke exposure causes many serious health problems – such as heart disease, stroke and lung cancer – in nonsmoking adults. In children, secondhand smoke can cause sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections and ear infections, and more frequent and severe asthma attacks. 

It can be difficult to quit smoking, especially if you have been smoking for an extended period of time, but those who have support on their journey tend to have better success. For more information on resources to quit smoking, visit https://www.piedmont.org/patients-visitors/stop-smoking.