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Brett started smoking when he was 16 to impress a pretty girl. By his midthirties, he had gum disease, which is a danger for all smokers. The tissues and bones holding Brett’s teeth in place were breaking down. In this video from CDC’s Tips From Former Smokers campaign, Brett talks about his addiction to cigarettes. […]

Amanda grew up around family members who smoked. She picked up her first cigarette in the 5th grade. In college, when she learned she was pregnant, she tried to quit but couldn’t beat the addiction. In this video, Amanda talks about being rushed to the hospital, where her baby was born 2 months early, at […]

Brett smoked cigarettes and lost all of his front teeth—top and bottom—by the time he was 42. He had gum disease, which is a risk for people who smoke. In this video, Brett talks about trying to hide his tooth loss, even from his wife. Comments on this video are allowed in accordance with our […]

Amanda had her first taste of the addictive power of cigarettes when she was in elementary school. In her 11-year-old mind, smoking seemed OK. After all, some of her family members smoked, so she tried it herself—and she soon became a regular smoker. In this video from CDC’s Tips From Former Smokers campaign, Amanda talks […]

Brian never imagined he could have a stroke at age 43. He was in good health. But smoking, combined with having HIV, caused a stroke when he was doing what he loved most—working at the potter’s wheel. In this video from CDC’s _Tips From Former Smokers_ ® ( _Tips_ ® ) campaign, Brian talks about […]

Rose had lung cancer from smoking cigarettes, and she needed very difficult medical treatments. This video explains three keys that helped her get through treatments: family support, faith, and quitting smoking. Comments on this video are allowed in accordance with our comment policy: http://www.cdc.gov/SocialMedia/Tools/CommentPolicy.html This video can also be viewed at http://streaming.cdc.gov/vod.php?id=68424ecf2f978c46d57a4fe0c4cd41d120140925164127140 source

Marlene smoked and started losing her vision at age 56. In this emotional video from CDC’s _Tips From Former Smokers_ ® ( _Tips_ ® ) campaign, she talks about having macular degeneration and her fear of going blind. Comments on this video are allowed in accordance with our comment policy: http://www.cdc.gov/SocialMedia/Tools/CommentPolicy.html This video can also […]

Marlene knows that she’s lucky to have found a treatment for her eye disease. But getting shots directly into her eyeballs is still upsetting each time she gets them. Marlene smoked and developed wet macular degeneration, a disease that can lead to blindness. In this video from CDC’s _Tips From Former Smokers_ ® ( _Tips_ […]

When Marlene started smoking in high school, she never imagined that smoking could lead to a serious eye disease, even blindness. In this TV ad from CDC’s _Tips From Former Smokers_ ® ( _Tips_ ® ) campaign, Marlene talks about the treatments that keep her from becoming legally blind—monthly eye injections that she’ll need for […]

Like many people who smoke, Tiffany had seen an older family member whose health was harmed by smoking, yet she kept buying menthol cigarettes for herself. In this emotional TV ad, Tiffany talks about the “aha” moment that sent her on a different, healthier path for her own life. Comments on this video are allowed […]

Mark started smoking before joining the Air Force and then continued to smoke through two tours of duty in the Persian Gulf. At age 42, with his risky deployments behind him, Mark was diagnosed with rectal cancer, one of many cancers that are linked to smoking. He now faced the fight of his life. In […]

Mark picked up his first cigarette as a teenager to fit in with friends. Life moved quickly and he continued to smoke until age 42, when doctors told him he had rectal cancer, one of many cancers that are linked to smoking. In this video from CDC’s _Tips From Former Smokers_ ® ( _Tips_ ® […]

Julia successfully quit smoking while she was pregnant. Later, she relapsed but tried to avoid smoking around her son. She didn’t think too much about her own health. Then she was diagnosed with colon cancer and nearly died. In this video from CDC’s _Tips From Former Smokers_ ® ( _Tips_ ® ) campaign, Julia talks […]

Becky smoked for years and had end-stage COPD. In this video from CDC’s Tips From Former Smokers® (Tips®) campaign, Becky shares how her life changed after she developed COPD. Becky died in 2023 at age 62 from COPD. Comments on this video are allowed in accordance with our comment policy: http://www.cdc.gov/SocialMedia/Tools/CommentPolicy.html This video can also […]

By age 33, Kristy had been a heavy smoker for 20 years. She had a smoker’s cough and shortness of breath and knew she had to quit. Kristy tried using electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) as a way to quit smoking, but she never stopped smoking cigarettes completely. She eventually stopped using e-cigarettes and went back to […]

Rebecca struggled with depression. In this video from CDC’s _Tips From Former Smokers_ ® ( _Tips_ ® ) campaign, Rebecca explains how she used to smoke to cope with her depression, but ended up feeling more depressed. She realized that cigarettes weren’t helping her and knew she had to quit. In her words, “It’s about […]

Kristy wanted to quit smoking. She tried e-cigarettes to help her quit, but never stopped smoking completely. She eventually quit using e-cigarettes, but kept smoking. In this video from CDC’s _Tips_ _From_ _Former_ _Smokers_ ® ( _Tips_ ® ) campaign, Kristy explains how she finally realized that she had to quit smoking cigarettes completely. Comments […]

Kristy is a 36-year-old truck driver from Tennessee. She smoked cigarettes to help pass time on the road. In this video from CDC’s _Tips From Former Smokers_ ® ( _Tips_ ® ) campaign, Kristy explains what happened when she came home in pain after one trip. She was rushed to the hospital, struggling to breathe. […]

What makes a person who smokes quit? In this video from CDC’s _Tips From Former Smokers_ ® ( _Tips_ ® ) campaign, Rebecca reveals that the birth of her grandson motivated her to quit for good. She made other healthy changes too. She sought help for her depression and began to exercise. As a result, […]

Rebecca started smoking menthol cigarettes at age 16. At age 33, she was diagnosed with depression. Rebecca used cigarettes to help her cope. When she tried to quit and couldn’t, she felt even more depressed and started smoking again. “That was just a vicious, vicious cycle,” she said. In this ad from _Tips From Former […]