‘It’s Nonjudgmental Support’: Breathing Easier with the Healthy Lungs Program

From PCORI:

Ellen Wolfson has tried to quit smoking before. A woman in her seventies from Philadelphia, Ellen recognizes it’s a necessary action to improve her health—especially as someone living with heart disease. She first started smoking over 50 years ago, and at one point in her thirties, Ellen was smoking up to two packs a day. Shortly before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ellen had quit smoking cold turkey. Stress and boredom caused by pandemic-associated upheaval though meant Ellen began smoking again.

An estimated 30 million adults in the United States smoke cigarettes, and more than 16 million of them are living with a health condition related to smoking. Smoking can lead to heart disease and stroke and is also the biggest risk factor for lung cancer.

Many people who smoke want to quit, but quitting can be challenging, in part because the nicotine in cigarettes is so addictive. “It’s really hard to quit smoking,” emphasizes Ellen. Yet today, Ellen is once again six months smoke-free. She credits the Healthy Lungs program with providing her support to get there.