Many people will make New Year’s resolutions to live healthier by giving up cigarettes. Although quitting smoking can be challenging, the immediate and long-term health benefits for people who smoke and the people around them are well worth the effort. Decreasing exposure to smoke and secondhand smoke means reducing respiratory symptoms such as coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath, and lowering the risk of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and other types of cancer. The Chicago Tobacco Prevention Project offers the following top five tips to help people resolved to quit in 2012:

• Stay motivated. Make a list of reasons to quit and carry the list with you. Revisit these reasons when you have the urge to smoke.
• Set a date. Quitting smoking is one of the most important health decisions a person can make, but it takes work and commitment. Setting a quit date in advance and making preparations is key to starting a new, smoke-free life.
• Remove evidence of cigarettes. To get smoking out of your life, clean out your car, wash your clothes, put away your ashtrays and get rid of all your cigarettes. Keeping cigarettes or lighters “just in case” undermines your self-confidence.
• Change your routine. Cut smoke breaks out of your life and remove temptations by changing your routine as much as possible. For example, sit in a different place at the kitchen table, take a new route to work or drink tea instead of coffee.
• Reward yourself for not smoking. Set short- and long-term goals, and reward yourself for each milestone you reach. Making a “contract” with yourself or a friend can help you stay resolved.

For additional quit tips and other smoking cessation resources, visit www.lungchicago.org.