Being a smoker for as long as I was, it's safe to say I've smoked to a decent number of smokers. Pretty much all the smokers I've met through the years want to quit, but are either intimidated by going through the quitting process, or worse, resigned to whatever health problems they may face from smoking.

There were definitely times during my smoking career that I thought about the dangers I was exposing myself to, but also thought about how many cigarettes I'd smoked in my lifetime and kinda just gave up. "I've probably already doomed myself for cancer, so what's the point even?" I thought. It's a pretty common, albeit depressing, thought, and one that is absolutely untrue.

Sure, if you've been smoking for years your risk of lung cancer and heart attack are higher than those of a non-smoker, but putting out that last butt starts diminishing your chances immediately. Check it:

Smoking Timeline
Cancer.org
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I worked with the folks at A Smoke Free Paso del Norte initiative, which provides support to those going through the quitting process, and I encourage any smokers who have been thinking about giving quitting a try, to head over to their website and set their own quit dates or to call the Quit Line to connect with a quit coach at (915) 534-QUIT.

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