Anne Mitchell, Patient Expert

It’s been said that quitting smoking is harder than quitting alcohol, cocaine, and other addictions. As a recovered alcoholic and a former smoker, I can tell you from first-hand experience that this was true (at least for me). It was much harder for ...

Paul Newman died of lung cancer on Friday, September 26th, at age 83. His career as a movie star, producer, and director was legendary. He was a chain-smoker for many years but quit smoking in 1986. Newman’s illness was not publicly acknowledged unti...

Jill Biden has moved into the spotlight as the wife of Senator Joe Biden, VP candidate for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. In an interview for Time Magazine, Jill stated that one of her areas of focus would be educating people about the ...

Cigarette taxes are often increased in an attempt to curb smoking rates. When I first thought about this approach, it seemed fraught with contradictions. After all, aren’t governments benefiting from smokers by raising cigarette taxes? When smokers q...

Randy Pausch, a 47-year-old father of three, died today of pancreatic cancer. He never smoked, did not drink heavily, and exercised every day. Pausch’s message about living life with humor and joy while dying of a terminal illness has inspired millio...

You’ve gone more than one month without a cigarette - that is awesome Stretch your arm back around as far as you can and give yourself a really big pat on the back. In fact, go find someone else who can give you a pat on the back. It’s good to share ...

The Complete 4-Week Quit Smoking Guide: Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 You’re now approaching one month without a cigarette - wow That is an amazing feat. If this is your first time making it this far, you must be feeling pretty good right about now. If ...

The Complete 4-Week Quit Smoking Guide: Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week three and counting - and you’re probably feeling better than you have in a long time. When you first quit smoking, your body immediately starts recovering. You feel more energet...

The Complete 4-Week Quit Smoking Guide: Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 You’re now starting your second week as a nonsmoker - congratulations These first days can be very exciting as you discover reserves you didn’t realize you had. This week we will cov...