Smoking Cessation

After more than 40 years since the first Surgeon General’s report on smoking and health, smoking is still the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. In light of this—as well as existing smoking bans in the city and on campus—here are some resources that may help you quit smoking, if you so choose.

Smoking Facts

Smoking can cause cancer in many parts of the body that were not previously linked to smoking, such as the kidneys, cervix, and bone marrow.
Smoking diminishes health, in general. Adverse health effects begin before birth and continue across the life span.
Smoking can cause cataracts and may contribute to the development of osteoporosis, which increases the risk for fractures in older adults.
Changes that cigarette manufactures have incorporated to reduce tar and nicotine in cigarettes have not clearly benefited public health.
Between 1995 and 1999, smoking was directly related to approximately 440,000 premature deaths in the United States annually. On average, male smokers lose 13.2 years of life expectancy and female smokers lose 14.5 years.
Each cigarette costs a smoker 5 to 20 minutes of life.
A smoker has twice the risk of dying before the age of 65, as compared to a non-smoker.
The risk of heart disease increases approximately 100% with each pack of cigarettes that is smoked each day.
Lung cancer risk increases 50% to 100% with each cigarette that is smoked each day.
Smoking causes more deaths per year than AIDS, murder, fire, cocaine, heroine, alcohol, car accidents, and suicide combined.
Smokers spend 27% more time in the hospital and more than twice the time in the intensive care unit than non-smokers.

Quitting Resources

Penn’s Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center (TTURC) – The mission of the TTURC is to improve treatment for nicotine dependence. TTURC currently is conducting several research and pilot projects that focus on genetics, general tobacco dependency, and treatment effectiveness. They also offer a range of Quit Smoking programs.
Penn Lung Center – The Penn Lung Center at the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) is a resource for consultation, second opinion, diagnosis, and ongoing treatment of patients with lung disease. UPHS has a tradition of leadership in diagnosing and treating lung disease for over 50 years. The multi-disciplinary structure of the Penn Lung Center makes it ideally suited to the evaluation of the most complex problems and diagnostic dilemmas, as well as more routine cases. The Penn Lung Center provides information on smoking cessation resources in the community and online.
Health Insurance Resources – Your health insurance provider may have information about smoking cessation programs and may even offer reimbursement for programs that help you stop smoking.
Employee Assistance Program – Penn’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) assists Penn faculty and staff and their family members with personal life challenges. The EAP offers a wealth of information on why it may be hard to quit smoking and/or curb other addictions, and provides support for making a change. Professional EAP counselors are available 24/7 by phone at 1-888-321-4433.