An official website of the United States government
Beatrice R.’s Story
Beatrice, age 40, lives in New York. She is the mother of two boys and formerly served in the U.S. Navy. Beatrice tried her first cigarette at age 7, her second at 11, and then began smoking menthol cigarettes regularly when she was 13. She had friends who smoked, and she wanted to be “cool” like them.
More than 25 years later, Beatrice still smoked menthol cigarettes. She was not a person who smoked heavily, nor had she been diagnosed with any smoking-related health problems, but she still wanted to quit. Her family also wanted her to quit. Although she had tried many times before, in 2010, Beatrice quit for good. She encourages anyone who wants to quit smoking to do it—but to get help if they need it.
Persons with disabilities experiencing problems accessing these videos should contact CDC-INFO at CDC-INFO email form: https://www.cdc.gov/info, 800-232-4636 or the TTY number at (888) 232-6348 and ask for a 508 Accommodation PR#9342. If emailing please type “508 Accommodation PR#9342” without quotes in the subject line of the email. Please include the URL of the site in the Subject line of your email request that you would like to access.
Beatrice R.’s Biography
Beatrice, who formerly served in the U.S. Navy and is the mother of two boys, lives in New York. She tried her first cigarette at age 7, her second at 11, and then began smoking regularly when she was 13. She had friends who smoked, and she wanted to be “cool” like them.
More than 25 years later, Beatrice still smoked menthol cigarettes. She was not a person who smoked heavily nor had she been diagnosed with any smoking-related health problems, but she still wanted to quit. Her family also wanted her to quit. Although she had tried many times before, in 2010 Beatrice quit for good.
“When my son was 11, he wrote me a letter in which he asked me to quit smoking,” says Beatrice. “And when I was going through the process of quitting, that letter was very motivating for me. I want to be here for my family.”
Beatrice smoked half a pack of menthol cigarettes every day. She says quitting was difficult and that she needed help. She used patches and other medicines to help ease withdrawal symptoms, and she would always look at her son’s letter if she needed an extra reminder of her reasons for staying smokefree.
Beatrice, now 40, has more energy than when she smoked, and she cooks more—because food tastes so much better. She encourages anyone who wants to quit smoking to do it—but to get help if they need it. Beatrice found additional support online from friends who encouraged her to stay smokefree, as well as from her family. “You’re going to need support, because it’s not always easy,” she says, “but the main thing is, you really have to want to quit.”
On her participation in the Tips From Former Smokers® campaign, Beatrice says, “I want to offer hope to people that it is possible for you to join the ranks of nonsmokers.”
