Cigarette smoke contains over 4000 different chemicals and 40 of these are known to cause cancer. Smoking also results in heart disease and lung diseases such as bronchitis and emphysema to name but a few smoking related diseases that result from smoking long term.

If you don't already smoke cigarettes then the best thing you can do is to avoid cigarettes like the plague and if you do smoke cigarettes then the best option would be to stop smoking cigarettes and live a full and healthy life.

That being said, giving up smoking cigarettes although one of the best decisions you could make in your life will also be one of the most difficult. But it is not impossible although it may seem like it for many smokers.

Once you have finally decided to stop smoking then the following tips and methods can be used to help you reach the goal of being a non smoker -

1. Know Your Reasons for Stopping Smoking: What are your reasons to stop smoking and are they compelling enough to keep you motivated. Make sure these reasons are your own and not another persons. If you are being hounded into stopping smoking by somebody else you will probably not remain motivated for long.

2. Know the benefits of stopping smoking: The flip side of the reasons to stop smoking are the benefits from stopping smoking. What are the health, wealth and social benefits from quitting smoking. These benefits will be both immediate and gradual but all worth any struggle you face when stopping smoking.

3. Decide upon how you will quit smoking: There are many different ways to stop smoking. Some smokers will quit smoking cold turkey and others will try to cut down on the number of cigarettes they smoke and eliminate one or more cigarettes a day or each week in an attempt to eventually smoke zero cigarettes. Other smokers will try nicotine replacement therapy or prescription medication and yet others will opt for hypnosis, laser therapy or even aromatherapy.

4. Get some support: The more support you have when you stop smoking the greater your chance of success. Once you stop smoking tell your friends and family and even select a friend or family member to be your personal support person who can check up on your progress daily or just someone you can call up when you feel tempted to smoke.

5. Don't give up: Stopping smoking is a challenging task and for many smokers their attempts will end in one failure after another. Don't give up if one smoking method or attempt doesn't work, try a different method or just another attempt. Those smokers that keep trying to stop smoking eventually succeed.