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 Jessica’s story of tobacco addiction, dramatic wake-up call to quit, and finally becoming smoke-free could be the story of your daughter, sister, or best friend. Jessica started smoking at 16, having a cigarette once in awhile in social settings, like after a high school game. As a student in a private high school, she viewed smoking as a rebellious act, as being caught with cigarettes means to expulsion.
But after a year, she felt she was addicted to cigarettes. What started as an act to fit in with her close friends and to rebel as a teen turned into an 8-year addiction. By then, Jessica was smoking a little over a pack a day. She knew she had to take control of her dependency on tobacco. Both aunts on her father’s side died due to smoking-related diseases, and Jessica also began noticing others smokers looking much older than they should.
In early 2006, she noticed a tobacco cessation ad, but it wasn’t until October that she made the commitment to quit smoking. After months of dealing with a persistent “smoker’s” cough, Jessica literally got a wake-up call in the middle of the night with a cough so bad it took her breathe away.
The next morning, she called the American Lung Association’s Lung Helpline and spoke with Jose, one of the many registered nurses and registered respiratory therapists who work at the Lung Helpline. Jose gave Jessica the support and help she needed to quit smoking. Jessica is proud to say that she has been tobacco-free since October 5, 2006 and is thankful everyday that tobacco no longer controls her life! |
