Smoking kills upwards of 80,000 people every year in the UK and is the biggest cause of premature death and preventable disease. Quitting is undoubtedly the best health decision you will ever make. So, get started now! Find the right strategy that works for you and go for it.

In order to quit for good you first need to understand what it is that makes you reach for the fags in the first place. Research has shown that smokers broadly fall into different personality categories and different advice to quit applies to each of them.

1. You can live without cigarettes until some issue at work or a row with your boyfriend sends you running to the tobacconist.

In your case, smoking is a tension easer. For you, exercise is a good way of dealing with stress and also helps to banish cravings. Nicotine gives you a quick fix adrenaline shot which speeds up your metabolism. Exercise does the same but clearly in a more positive way.

2. Your first act of the day is to light up. You then smoke throughout the day and get the jitters if you miss one.

Your addiction to nicotine is very strong. Your priority is therefore to break your addiction. Try nicotine patches, sprays, gums or electronic cigarettes. The latter give you a convincing cigarette substitute but without the harmful toxic chemicals. Your doctor can also prescribe a drug called Zyban which eases withdrawal symptoms. Although this does double quitting success rates, it can also cause insomnia and headaches.

3. You're fine when you're on your own but the minute you join your chums and someone lights up, you have to join in.

For you, smoking is a social habit. You need to make quitting a social activity too, and for this you'll need to find yourself a quit buddy. Medical evidence has shown that your chances of stopping are considerably increased if you give up at the same time as a friend or relative. Quitting groups can also be a great source of support and your doctor will be able to put you in touch with one locally.

4. Smoking is part of your daily routine and has been forever! You reach for a cigarette to go with your morning coffee or after dinner when you settle down in front of the TV at the end of the day.

You need to retrain your brain. Break the associations you have with cigarettes and replace them with healthier habits. You may find hypnotherapy extremely effective. Acupuncture therapy has also been found to be useful in cases like yours.

5. Although you've tried to give up many, many times before nothing has worked for the long term.

Don't be discouraged and tell yourself that you just can't do it – you can! You just need willpower! Two thirds of ex-smokers successfully quit without using any form of medical intervention or assistance. The two main causes of lack of willpower are; low glucose levels and being overtired. Make sure you never go for more than a couple of hours without some form of healthy snack (fruit or nuts for example) and try to get a good eight hours unbroken sleep each night.

If you need a few more reasons than the usual ones for giving up smoking, think about these:

1. Ex-smokers have better reasoning skills and memory than smokers.
2. Smoking prematurely ages your skin by up to 20 years. You'll also go grey earlier!
3. Female smokers have a greatly reduced chance of becoming pregnant.
4. Smoking causes gum disease, bad breath and stained teeth.
5. Macular degeneration (the main cause of blindness in the UK) is doubled if you smoke.
6. 98% of children canvassed wish that a smoking parent would give up.

Before you start on your quitting campaign, make sure you have a plan. Identify your biggest smoking triggers and your feelings when you have a cigarette. Write down new healthy habits you can adopt instead of reaching for a cigarette. Make sure you have everything you need for your campaign: nicotine patches, gum etc and get rid of ciggies, ashtrays, matches and lighters. Remember to tell friends and family that you're giving up. Work out approximately how much money you'll save by not buying cigarettes and write the figure down. Think about something you'd really like but can't afford – a facial or manicure perhaps – and write that down too. Keep the piece of paper somewhere you can see it.

On day one of your quitting campaign, make sure you keep busy and have a friend on speed dial just in case you need encouragement. One week in and you should find that your cravings begin to weaken although you're still vulnerable to temptation. Stay strong, you can do this! One month in and it's time to reward yourself with a treat and share your achievement with your friends and supporters. Praise works wonders!

Spend the money you've saved on fags on the reward you noted down when you started or save it until the end of month two as further motivation.

For the more than 12 million people who suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD it is poorly understood. It is several ailments that are characterized by airflow obstructions which includes emphysema, chronic asthmatic bronchitis and chronic bronchitis. Many who have COPD don't even know it.

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute(NHLBI) these respitory diseases are the fourth leading cause of death after heart disease, cancer and strokes. COPD symptoms are very much like viral respiratory illnesses but if wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing that produces mucus are being suffered by you seeing your doctor is very important for early treatment is key in managing COPD effectively.

Unfortunately there is no cure for COPD but there are medications that will dilate airways and reduce inflammation and exercises to lessen symptoms and strenghthen the lungs.

More women are smoking now days and more women are being found to have the disease. They decline faster than men. And women that smoke the same amount as men are more likely to have greater loss in lung function. This is probably because women's lungs are usually smaller than men's.

Usually COPD is more common in seniors but if they smoke people younger than 65 can develope the disease. A person who started smoking in their teens can develope shortness of breath and wheezing in their 30's or 40's. There may be the early signs of bronchitis or emphazema in the lungs even before the signs of COPD become apparent. For common cancers and heart disease death rates are actually going down but the rates for COPD sufferers are going up. With proper medications and treatments people with COPD can do pretty well but others can develope heart disease and death from respiratory failure. COPD is now the leading cause of death in the U.S.

The life expectancy of a COPD patient can improve drastically if they give up smoking, change their lifestyle, take up a healthy diet, take medication and get on a exercise program. There is less strain on the lungs if the patient also loses some weight. If the patient stops smoking they will prevent more damage to the lungs and they start breathing better.

Ninety percent of COPD patients are smokers. Quitting will make a difference even if the patient has smoked for many years. COPD patients don't all have to use oxygen 24/7. Some with less severe cases only need the oxygen when they are exercizing or sleeping. Taking a spirometry test for lung function can determine if oxygen is needed or not. Those with less than 90% oxygen saturation in their lungs will need supplemental oxygen. Breathing may sap the strength of a COPD patient and they may lose muscle mass and can even become emaciated so they need more daily calories. A healthy diet of fruits and vegetables, and lean protein. This may also prevent malnutrition.

It is a good idea for the COPD patient to talk to their doctor about an exercise program tailored to their particular needs. Low impact exercise such as aerobic conditioning, light weight lifting, tread mill, stationary bikes, walking and swimming will help to strengthen the muscles in the lungs. They will want to build up endurance working slowly and sustain what they are able to do. When exercising outdoors they don't want the air to be too dry, too cold or too wet.

According to a 2009 study of the Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention those who practice deep breathing, power breathing, slow abdominal breathing experience less shortness of breath and increased oxygen absorption.It is recommended that COPD patients get a yearly flu shot, vaccine for pneumococcal infections and booster for pertussis (whooping cough).