OSF HealthCare is committed to helping you stop smoking to improve your health – and the health of your loved ones.

Impact of Smoking

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States.

According to the Center for Disease Control, 16 million people in the U.S. suffer from smoking-related illnesses, and about 500,000 die every year from smoking or from exposure to secondhand smoke. It costs $170 billion annually to treat smoking-related diseases in this country.

We understand that smoking is an addiction, as well as a habit. We know how difficult it is to stop smoking. Most smokers try to stop, only to relapse. That cycle can be repeated multiple times before you quit for good. But we are here to help.

Smoking Cessation Programs 

For individuals who sincerely want to quit, OSF HealthCare offers structured programs that are free of charge. We are committed to your health. We want you to stop smoking.

Our programs are patient-centered. They provide behavioral support and a multidisciplinary approach that includes a counselor, dietitian and cessation specialist. Participants attend multiple sessions.

Our programs use the 5A’s approach to quitting:

• Ask about tobacco use: What is your smoking status?
• Advise to quit: It is important for you to quit, and we can help.
• Assess: Are you willing to give quitting a try at this time? For former smokers, there are challenges to remain smoke free.
• Assist: A quit plan will be formulated with you.
• Arrange: Follow-up appointments will be expected and scheduled.

Benefits of Smoking Cessation

Statistics show that if you stop smoking, you can begin to see both quick and long-term improvements in your health:

• Within the first few weeks, your blood pressure and heart rate will begin to drop.
• Within the first year, your risk for heart attack will drop dramatically.
• Within two to five years, your risk for stroke will fall to a rate similar to non-smokers.
• After five years of not smoking, your risk of developing cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus and bladder are cut in half.
• Not smoking for 10 years can reduce your risk of lung cancer by half.

If you are struggling with a smoking addiction, ask your OSF HealthCare provider about available programs to help you quit.