FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- Smokers across the country are preparing for the third Thursday in November, when they will make more time to breathe easy by quitting smoking or at least making a plan. This year’s Great American Smokeout will be on November 17, 2016. This event challenges smokers to quit for just 24 hours, in the hopes that they will make the decision to quit forever.

Active duty service members and veterans use tobacco at drastically higher rates than the rest of the population. According to a survey by the Department of Defense from 2011, 49 percent of military service members had used a nicotine product in the past 12 months.

According to the American Cancer Society, your heart rate and blood pressure drop just 20 minutes after your last cigarette. And after just 12 hours smoke free, the carbon monoxide levels in your blood drop to normal.

To help with cravings you can try taking a brisk walk instead of a smoke break, or chewing gum instead of smoking. When you feel stressed, instead of reaching for a pack, you can breathe deeply; take a hot bath or exercise to blow off steam.

Having support can help you through your quit attempt. Quit Tobacco – UCanQuit2.org is a program specifically designed for military service members and their families to help them quit smoking. This program includes the Ready2Quit interactive quit plan, SmokefreeMIL text message support program, and 24/7 live chat support to help you stay on track.

 

We want you to be successful in your quit attempt so that you can live the best life possible. TRICARE offers smoking cessation services including Tobacco Cessation Medication.