The American Cancer Society has a “Guide to Quitting Smoking” that explains why it’s so hard. This lengthy guide covers the effects of smoking on the body and lists social and economic reasons to quit. It describes what happens to your body when you stop smoking (for example, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal after only 12 hours), and the immediate rewards of quitting. This guide also tells you what to look for in smoking cessation programs and tells you the best way to quit by assessing your smoking habits in a six-question quiz.

WhyQuit.com is a site run by a tobacco-cessation educator. If you have the stomach for it, check out the gallery of people who have died from or are currently fighting tobacco-related illnesses, including those caused by smokeless tobacco. Then scroll down to view pictures of diseased lungs and people in the hospital. It’s not the most pleasant site you’ll visit today, but it is effective.

The American Academy of Family Physicians has a number of smoking cessation resources, including this “Why Do I Smoke?” quiz that helps you figure out your reasons and offers alternatives. For people who smoke because of stress, for example, the site recommends other ways to manage tension.

The American Lung Association has a free online cessation program called “Freedom From Smoking.” Completing the program requires free registration at the site. Read the Freedom From Smoking program overview to learn more.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has an interactive tool that you can download to your desktop or PDA that gives you a five-day countdown to quit smoking, with tips and resources.

The National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health. Its Web site has a brief overview of the methods used to quit smoking, such as the types of counseling available and nicotine replacement products.

American Family Physician is a peer-reviewed journal of the American Academy of Family Physicians. It has an article that outlines the different quitting methods in more detail and rates their effectiveness. Another table includes the types of nicotine replacement therapy, their advantages and disadvantages, who shouldn’t take which medication, and their average daily cost. The article is a little more technical but still readable.

The American Lung Association describes the various nicotine replacement and prescription drugs available to help you quit smoking. The site describes how the products are used or taken, and the most common side effects.

Healthwise is a nonprofit healthcare information site with a section that also outlines the different types of nicotine replacement available. This site describes who should and shouldn’t use the different products, how they work, how well they work, and their side effects.

Nicotine Anonymous has a database of meetings throughout the United States and 30 other countries around the world. When we checked, some states only had one or two meetings listed and a few states (Alabama, Arkansas, and Rhode Island) had none. If there are no meetings in your area, use the “Starter Kit” link on the left to learn how to start one. NA also offers meetings via the Internet and telephone.

The National Cancer Institute has a page of fact sheets that cover many aspects of managing life without smoking. Topics covered include handling irritability and frustration, getting through the morning without a cigarette, and many more.

WhyQuit.com has a “Relapse Prevention Library” to discourage relapses. The main message through these articles is “Never take another puff.”