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Brian had heart disease, lung cancer, and COPD from smoking cigarettes. His wife, Denise, was there with him for every doctor’s appointment, scan, surgery, and recovery. Although Brian was the one who was sick, his illnesses affected both of their lives. Brian died in 2022 at age 68 after suffering from smoking-related health problems for […]

After more than 45 years of marriage, Denise and Brian H. spent a lot of time together. Much of that time was spent in doctors’ offices and hospitals. Brian had heart disease, lung cancer, and COPD from smoking cigarettes for most of his life. Denise put her career on hold to be his full-time caregiver. […]

Nathan was surrounded by secondhand smoke every day at work. This caused permanent lung damage and triggered severe asthma attacks. Nathan himself never smoked. In this TV commercial from CDC’s Tips From Former Smokers campaign, Nathan tells viewers that because of his health problems, he could no longer work at the same job or participate […]

La exposición al humo de segunda mano puede provocar un ataque de asma que puede ser mortal. Este comercial de televisión de la campaña de los CDC ” Consejos de exfumadores”, muestra a Jessica, la madre de un niño pequeño que tiene ataques de asma por la exposición al humo de segunda mano. Ella les […]

People told Elizabeth B. she could die if she continued smoking menthol cigarettes. She thought, “at least I’ll have fun.” In this ad, Elizabeth shares that living with smoking-related diseases is no fun at all. This video can also be viewed at https://www.cdc.gov/wcms/video/low-res/tobacco/2023/71407140tips-2024-elizabeth-b-no-fun-30-URL-high-res.mp4 source

Elizabeth B. had numbness in her feet and cramping in her calf that kept getting worse. She learned from her doctor that she had smoking-related peripheral artery disease (PAD). Elizabeth also developed kidney cancer. In this video, Elizabeth and her husband Stephen share how Elizabeth’s health impacts their lives. This video can also be viewed […]

Elizabeth B. was 52 and a newlywed when she learned she had smoking-related peripheral artery disease (PAD). She had major surgery to restore blood flow to her legs. Elizabeth offered to end her marriage to her husband, Stephen. She felt he did not sign up for taking care of her full-time. In this ad, Elizabeth […]

Smoking-related strokes affected Ethan B.’s memory. On good days, he occasionally loses his train of thought. On bad days, he feels confused and can barely finish a sentence. In this ad, Ethan explains that he makes notes to himself on sticky notes to remember things. This video can also be viewed at https://www.cdc.gov/wcms/video/low-res/tobacco/2023/169169tips-2024-ethan-b-sticky-note-15-URL-high-res.mp4 source

John B. tried several different strategies to quit smoking, but he continued to struggle with nicotine addiction. He found a doctor who prescribed medicines and counseling that helped him finally quit. In this ad, John shares his tip: keep trying to quit. You only have to quit for good once. This video can also be […]

Noel S. started smoking menthol cigarettes at age 13. He liked the flavor of menthol and did not think they were as harsh as other cigarettes. In this video, Noel talks about how addictive menthol cigarettes (menthols) are. Having a heart attack at age 36 made him realize menthol cigarettes are just as dangerous as […]

John B. could not go a day without smoking a cigarette. He tried several different strategies to quit smoking, but he continued to struggle with nicotine addiction. In this video, John talks about finding a doctor who helped him quit for good. The doctor prescribed him two medicines and counseling. He wants people who smoke […]

Noel S. saw many ads for menthol cigarettes when he was growing up in Brooklyn. He smoked two packs a day for more than 20 years. In this video, Noel talks about the smoking-related heart attack he had at age 36. He realizes now that menthol cigarettes are just as dangerous as other cigarettes. This […]

Noel S. smoked two packs of cigarettes a day for more than 20 years. In this ad, Noel shares he did not know it was possible to have a heart attack at age 36, until it happened to him. This video can also be viewed at https://www.cdc.gov/wcms/video/low-res/tobacco/2023/80308030tips-2024-noel-s-age-36-15-URL-high-res.mp4 source

Tammy W. smoked because she thought it helped relieve her stress. In this ad, Tammy shares how smoking cigarettes led to a very stressful procedure – open-heart surgery. This video can also be viewed at https://www.cdc.gov/wcms/video/low-res/tobacco/2024/59645964tips-2024-tammy-w-stress-relief-15-URL-high-res.mp4 source

Tammy W. ate a healthy diet and ran every day. She smoked menthol cigarettes because she thought they were less harmful than other cigarettes. In this ad, Tammy talks about her heart disease and open-heart surgery. She shares how the surgery helped her realize there is no such thing as a “healthy” cigarette. source

Tammy W. ate healthy and ran marathons. She also smoked for 23 years. At age 44, Tammy learned she had severe heart disease. In this video, Tammy talks about needing to have open-heart surgery. She shares how it felt to see her mother worried at the hospital. This video can also be viewed at https://www.cdc.gov/wcms/video/low-res/tobacco/2024/45364536tips-2024-tammy-w-reality-of-smoking-vignette-URL-high-res.mp4 […]

Ethan B. grew up seeing ads that convinced him smoking was “cool.” In this ad, Ethan says there’s nothing cool about having a smoking-related stroke. 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 https://www.cdc.gov/wcms/video/low-res/tobacco/2023/390390tips-2024-ethan-b-cool-30-URL-high-res.mp4 source

Angie P. hid behind menthol cigarettes while she struggled with her identity. She feared her family and community would not accept her for being gay. In this vignette, Angie talks about that fear and other feelings she tried to mask with cigarettes. She says quitting smoking helped her rediscover and love herself. Comments on this […]

Ethan started smoking menthol cigarettes because he wanted to be “cool.” He wanted to be like the people he saw in movies and commercials. In this video, he describes how smoking affected his health and shares that he had two smoking-related strokes. Comments on this video are allowed in accordance with our comment policy: http://www.cdc.gov/SocialMedia/Tools/CommentPolicy.html […]

Ethan B. remembers seeing ads that made smoking menthol cigarettes seem “soothing” and “fresh”. After having two smoking-related strokes, Ethan knows there’s nothing soothing about smoking menthol cigarettes. This video can also be viewed at https://www.cdc.gov/wcms/video/low-res/tobacco/2024/14701470tips-2024-ethan-b-not-so-soothing-30-URL-high-res-v2.mp4 source