One of the best holiday gifts you can give yourself and your family is the New Year’s resolution to quit smoking. By joining the millions who have successfully kicked the habit, you can live a longer, healthier life and save money twice over in tobacco purchases and health care costs.

You probably know that smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, accounting for more than 480,000 deaths, or one of every five deaths, each year. More than 16 million Americans suffer from a disease caused by smoking.

The smoking rate in the United States was cut in half from 1960 to 2000, but then leveled off at about 20 percent of the adult population for a decade, according to annual surveys conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Then, thanks to targeted prevention campaigns, enforcement of laws banning sales to minors, increased tobacco taxes, and second-hand smoke regulations like Michigan’s 2010 Dr. Ron Davis Smoke-Free Air Law which prohibits smoking in restaurants, bars and worksites, national smoking prevalence declined from 20.9 percent in 2005 to 18.1 percent in 2012.

Still, an estimated 42 million people in the United States smoke cigarettes, including 20.5 percent of men and 15.8 percent of women. A local health department survey conducted in July 2012 found that an estimated 23 percent of Western Upper Peninsula adults smoke, including 36 percent of people with household annual incomes below $25,000, precisely those who can least afford the habit and are least likely to have good health insurance.

Quitting tobacco can be very challenging because nicotine is a highly addictive drug, but there are resources and tools available to help tobacco users be successful in their quit attempts. Planning ahead, seeking support from friends and family, and talking to a health care provider can increase the likelihood of quitting successfully. In addition to talking to a health care provider, there are numerous proven and effective methods available to help Michigan residents quit tobacco, including:

The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) Tobacco Quitline, at 800-784-8669, provides free telephone coaching for the uninsured and those with Medicaid and Medicare, and free nicotine replacement medications for those who qualify. The Quitline includes extra help for pregnant women.

Become an Ex, at www.BecomeAnEX.org, is a free, interactive website that shows smokers how to re-learn life without cigarettes. The site, developed by the American Legacy Foundation in partnership with Mayo Clinic, offers a personalized quit plan and an online support community to help people prepare to quit and stay quit.

The web site www.smokefree.gov provides free, accurate, evidence-based information and professional assistance to help support the immediate and long-term needs of people trying to quit smoking.

Quit Tobacco: Make Everyone Proud, available at www.ucanquit2.org, is a Department of Defense-sponsored web site for military personnel and their families.

CDC’s Smoking and Tobacco Use web site at www.cdc.gov/tobacco includes excellent tips on how to quit smoking.

Tools from the American Cancer Society are available to help with quitting. For more information contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345.

According to the American Cancer Society, the benefits of quitting smoking are immediate. Within 20 minutes, blood pressure drops, and within 24 hours a person’s chance of heart attack decreases. The benefits continue for years, including reduced risk of lung cancer, stroke, and heart disease.

So, remember the holidays can be a stressful time, but smoking doesn’t have to be a part of them. Using the available resources can help people to make 2015 tobacco-free, yielding a lifetime of health benefits.

For more information, please call the Michigan Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669), or pick up a Quit Kit folder at the health department office nearest you. Western U.P. Health Department serves Baraga, Gogebic, Houghton, Keweenaw and Ontonagon counties, with offices in Hancock, L’Anse, Ontonagon and Bessemer.

Editor’s note: Ray Sharp is the manager of community planning and preparedness at Western U.P. Health Department.