Quit-smoking basics

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Tobacco is a killer. People who smoke or use other forms of tobacco are more likely to develop disease and die earlier than are people who don't use tobacco.

If you smoke, you may worry about what it's doing to your health. You probably worry, too, about how hard it might be to stop smoking. Nicotine is highly addictive. To quit smoking — especially without help — can be difficult. In fact, most people don't succeed the first time they try to quit. It may take more than one try. But you can stop smoking.

Take that first step: Decide to stop smoking. Set a quit date. And then take advantage of all the resources available to help you successfully quit smoking.

Care at Mayo Clinic

The Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center provides top-quality, evidence-based care for tobacco dependence — nonjudgmentally and supportively. Specialists work with you to develop a plan that gives you the best chance of success.

Visit Nicotine Dependence Center

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips, current health topics, and expertise on managing health. Click here for an email preview.

To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.

Nov. 15, 2022