Tobacco Cessation

Stop Smoking

We can help you fight the "two-headed monster."

Smoking and other tobacco use puts you at risk for a number of chronic conditions, including heart and lung disease. And yet, it's a hard habit to break. That's why so many people describe it as a "two-headed monster," or an "800-pound gorilla waiting to jump." 

We get it. And we know quitting takes a personalized approach. 

That's why we offer a variety of  programs to the community, and through our corporate wellness partners to help you stop smoking and other forms of tobacco. With TIPS (Tobacco-free Individualized Plans), classes are available in Springfield, Branson, Monett and surrounding communities.

Tobacco cessation resources CoxHealth offers include: 

• Individual 30-minute counseling sessions
• Beat the Pack - four one-hour classes
• Tobacco Free You - free monthly classes 

Check our calendar for dates and times near you or contact us today. 

What Smoking Does

Cigarette smoke damages your lungs and airways. Air passages swell and, over time, you’ll have more and more trouble clearing mucus from your air passages. This can cause a cough that won't go away, which sometimes leads to a lung disease called chronic bronchitis. If you keep smoking, normal breathing may become harder as emphysema develops. In emphysema, your lung tissue is destroyed, making it very hard to get enough oxygen.

Smoking can shorten your life. It brings an early death to more than 400,000 people in the United States each year. Lifelong smokers have a 1 in 2 chance of dying from a smoking-related disease. Smoking cuts years off the end of your life. Smoking makes millions of Americans sick by causing:

• Heart disease. If you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol (a fatty substance in the blood) and also smoke, you increase your chance of having a heart attack. Quitting will greatly lower your risk of heart disease.
  
• Cancer. Smoking can cause cancer of the lungs, mouth, larynx (voice box), esophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, kidney, bladder, and cervix. Your chance of getting cancer increases with the more cigarettes you smoke each day and the more years you smoke.
  
• Respiratory problems. If you smoke, you are more likely than a non-smoker to get the flu (influenza), pneumonia or other infections that can interfere with your breathing.
  
• Osteoporosis. If you are an older woman who smokes, your chance of developing osteoporosis is greater. Women who are past menopause tend to lose bone strength and sometimes develop this bone-weakening disorder. Bones weakened by osteoporosis break more easily. Also, women smokers tend to begin menopause sooner than the average woman, putting them at risk for osteoporosis at an earlier age.
  

Benefits of Quitting Smoking

Whether you’re young or old, it's not too late to quit. If you quit you’ll reduce your chance of cancer, heart attack and lung disease; improve your circulation; gain an improved sense of smell and taste; and set a healthy example for your children and grandchildren.