At the American Lung Association, we've helped more than a million people quit for good. For most people, it took several tries and what works is different for every person. See how these smokers finally quit for good.
Introducing Alex Porter, Age 32, Fairfax VA: I started smoking when I was 13. All my buddies did. Later I went into the military. Cigarettes can be your best friend when you are lonely. Basically, I never pictured myself without them until I went to college. I was trying to meet girls and smoking limits that. So, I quit for six months. But...
Introducing Paula Mathis, Age 51, Washington DC: I have four children, and I stopped smoking for each pregnancy, of course. But after each of my first three were born, I went right back to cigarettes. When my youngest was born, I went for three months without smoking. But then the weight started to come on me, so I started back smoking to lose...
Introducing Alisha Victorine, Age 37, Richmond VA: Alisha Victorine, 37-year-old mother and amateur flat track roller derby skater for the Richmond Derby Demons, has been a Richmond, Va., resident for 20 years. Although Alisha used to feel repulsed and powerless growing up around the cigarette smoke of family members, she tried her first cigarette at...
Introducing Ginny Lewis-McLaughlin, Age 57, Lebanon PA: Ginny Lewis-McLaughlin, age 57 of Lebanon, Pa., struggled with quitting smoking numerous times over many years. She grew up with a father who smoked and started smoking herself at age 18. After several quit attempts, she finally quit at age 31. Eighteen years later, she decided to take a puff of a cigarette...
Introducing Ron Simonis, Age 59, Milwaukee WI: Ron Simonis, a Milwaukee resident, grew up in a family of smokers and started smoking in high school, as a result of peer pressure and a desire to rebel against the training rules of his sports teams. Ron quickly became addicted to the nicotine lifestyle and solidified his habit while in the Army. He...
Introducing Pam Boyer-Pfersdorf, Age 53, Tucson AZ: Pam Boyer-Pfersdorf, age 53, works in humanitarian relief and is a life-long resident of Tucson, Ariz. She grew up with a father who smoked and she started smoking as a freshman in high school while, ironically, a member of the track team. Pam smoked for 22 years. While in a medical research job at...
Introducing Carolyn Westhues, Age 60, St. Louis MI: Carolyn Westhues has been a St. Louis resident for thirty-two years. Carolyn, who grew up in a family of smokers, started smoking at age fifteen and became a pack-a-day smoker for twenty-five years. She made hundreds of futile quit attempts, but decided to make her first serious quit attempt with a friend....
Introducing Shannon Vaffis, Age 34, Tucson AZ: Shannon Vaffis, of Tucson, Ariz., struggled with smoking on and off for ten years. Growing up in a family of smokers, she tried her first cigarette at age thirteen. At twenty-three, she transitioned from being a social smoker to a daily smoker due to a stressful job out of college. She made a number...
Introducing Solomon Luckett, Age 48, Richmond VA: Solomon Luckett, a 48-year-old resident of Virginia, started smoking at age 10 after growing up watching his father smoke. Solomon used to think smoking made his father look cool, so Solomon learned by picking up his cigarette butts and trying to smoke them. He became a pack-a-day smoker for almost...
Introducing Ron Girsch, Age 68, Harrisburg PA: Ron Girsch, age 68 of Harrisburg, Pa., knows first hand how difficult it is to quit smoking. Ron grew up with a father who smoked and passed away from pancreatic cancer shortly after Ron’s 12th birthday. Ron hated smoking, but he admired his father and eventually picked up smoking himself at age 13....
Introducing Walt Price, Age 40, Milwaukee WI: Walt Price, a 40-year-old firefighter, knows first hand how difficult it is to quit smoking. While growing up, Walt was surrounded by smokers including his mother and older brother. Consequently, at age 14 he began smoking. Initially, it was a means to bond with his older brother but then he became hooked....
Introducing Terri Renier, Age 50, Tucson AZ: Terri Renier, age 50 of Tucson, Ariz. was a 30 year smoker and is now a proud lung cancer survivor. Terri grew up in a family of smokers and started smoking at age 12 after playing with her parents’ cigarettes. Her habit escalated in college. Terri quit smoking at age 19 when she got married and had...
Introducing Peder Pedersen, Age 67, Charles City Virginia: I started smoking at age 13. That was 55 years ago. My father was a pack a day smoker. Back in those days doctors were used in commercials to advertise how cool and enjoyable smoking could be, leaving out the fact that it was physically and mentally habit forming. I gradually increased to almost 2 packs...