Make This the Year You Quit Smoking

Smoking is the single, largest, preventable cause of death and illness in the world. It’s estimated that smoking causes about 480,000 deaths each year as it is a risk factor for stroke and heart disease as well as lung cancer and respiratory illnesses. The Great American Smokeout, which takes place on the third Thursday of every November, is a great place to begin the journey of being smoke free. Ashlie Arthur, D.O., a pulmonologist with Piedmont Pulmonary, Critical Care, & Sleep Medicine that practices at Piedmont Fayette Hospital, urges smokers to quit starting on Thursday, Nov. 20, if not sooner. 

“Quitting smoking will improve your lung function and circulation. You’ll likely feel a difference within a few weeks,” said Dr. Arthur. “Your risk of heart attack is also reduced once you quit smoking and your risk of heart disease decreases as well.”

Quitting smoking doesn’t just benefit you, but also everyone around you. Smoke exposure causes many serious health problems – such as heart disease, stroke and lung cancer – in nonsmoking adults. In children, secondhand smoke can cause sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections and ear infections, and more frequent and severe asthma attacks.

“Smoking, and that includes the use of e-cigarettes, can cause a lot of damage,” said Dr. Arthur. “It’s important to do all you can to either reverse that damage or stop it from progressing further.”

It can be difficult to quit smoking, especially if you have been smoking for an extended period, but those who have support on their journey tend to have better success. For more information on resources to quit smoking visit https://www.piedmont.org/patients-visitors/stop-smoking

About Piedmont 

Piedmont is empowering Georgians by changing health care. We continue to fuel Georgia’s growth through safe, cost-effective, high-quality care close to home through an integrated health care system that provides a hassle-free, unified experience. We are a private, not-for-profit organization with more than 12,000 donors annually that for centuries has sought to make a positive difference in every life we touch in the communities we serve. Across our 2,171 physical locations we care for more than 4.5 million patients and serve communities that comprise 85 percent of Georgia’s population. This includes 27 hospitals, 113 immediate care locations, 1,875 Piedmont Clinic physician practices and more than 3,600 Piedmont Clinic members. Our patients conveniently engage with Piedmont online, as they scheduled more than 560,000 online appointments and over 120,000 virtual visits. With nearly 50,000 care givers we are the largest Georgia-based private employer of Georgians, who all came for the job, but stayed for the people. In 2024 and 2023, Piedmont has earned recognition from Newsweek as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity and also as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women. In 2022, Forbes ranked Piedmont on its list of the Best Large Employers in the United States. Piedmont provided more than $607 million in community impact in Fiscal Year 2024. For more information, or booking your next appointment, visit piedmont.org.