Need some motivation to help quit smoking? The World Health Organization estimates at least 80 percent of all heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, and more than 40 percent of cancers, are preventable if people stop smoking and get in shape.

About 440,000 Americans die each year from tobacco-related illnesses. But more than 3 million Americans successfully quit smoking each year. The Department of Veterans Affairs has tools in place to help veterans kick the tobacco habit.

“VA Medical Centers across the country have tobacco cessation support programs for our veterans,” said Patrick Smart, a health promotion disease prevention program manager at the Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center in Walla Walla. “These programs will guide you through lessons that can be accessed online or in person, including information about preparing to quit, tips on your quit day, overcoming roadblocks, getting used to life as a tobacco-free person and support strategies to help you remain abstinent.”

Smart, who helps teach a tobacco cessation class one day each week at the medical center, said peer support is a major factor in quitting the tobacco habit.

“Your fellow veterans who are also trying to quit can be a source of strength and motivation for you,” Smart said. “You’re all going through the same battle together.”

To learn more about VA’s Tobacco Cessation Program, visit your VA Medical Center, Vet Center or clinic.