Nationally, tobacco use claims over 450,000 lives annually. Smoking is the number one preventable cause of death in the United States and Western Pennsylvania. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health 2,790 persons died in 1997 in Allegheny County from smoke related diseases. Cancer was the leading cause of death and cardiovascular diseases accounted for 39% of all smoking-related deaths. Smoking is also responsible for a large number of chronic diseases such as emphysema.

The Respiratory Alliance has become western Pennsylvania's premier provider of tobacco education, cessation, and prevention programs.

If you feel that you're ready to quit smoking, but don't know what methods are available to help you accomplish your goal, check out Quit Smoking Your Way . This document compares a variety of quit methods and points out some of the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

To reduce your smoking gradually, try our 21-Day Personal Smoking Reduction Program . In 21 days you will dramatically reduce your smoking... maybe even quit entirely... the choices are yours. This program has helped thousands of individuals stop smoking and you can log on daily for support and encouragement.

While trying to quit smoking, many people find it helpful to incorporate some type of relaxation method to help reduce the stress in their lives. The American Respiratory Alliance offers Relax an audio CD that offers a series of exercises including deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and guided visualization to help you on your journey to quit smoking.