DENVER -- The day you put down tobacco is a true milestone. So make sure you're prepared. This Quit Day checklist from the American Cancer Society can help you make through one day.

QUITTING SMOKING Immediate Benefits Of Quitting Encourage Smokers To Quit What's The Best Way To Quit? RESOURCES Colorado Quitline (800) 639-QUIT Colorado Quitnet American Cancer Society: Smokeout Info. or (800) ACS-2345 Plan Your Quit Day National Cancer Institute (800) 4-CANCER American Heart Association (800) AHA-USA1

Getting ready for quit day

Pick the date and mark it on your calendar.
Tell friends and family the date you have chosen.
Stock up on sugarless gum, carrot sticks, and hard candy.
Decide on a plan in advance. Will you use nicotine replacement therapy? Will you attend a smoking cessation class? If so, sign up now.
Practice saying, "No thank you. I don't smoke."
Set up a support system. This could be a group class or a friend who has successfully quit and is willing to help you.

Getting through quit day

First and foremost: don't smoke.
Get rid of all cigarettes, lighters, ashtrays, and any other items related to smoking.
Keep active-try walking, exercising, or doing other activities or hobbies.
Drink lots of water and juices.
Begin using the nicotine replacement you have chosen, if that's part of your plan.
Attend the stop smoking class you have chosen or follow a self-help plan, depending on your strategy.
Reduce or avoid alcohol.
Use the four "As" to deal with tough situations:
Avoid people and places that tempt you to smoke.
Alter some of your other daily habits, like meal times, your route to work, etc.
Alternatives for your mouth -- like healthy snacks -- can help keep it busy.
Activities for your hands -- like needlework, wood carving, or other hobbies -- can keep them occupied.

To help Coloradoans get their New Year's resolution off to a healthy start, cessation experts will be taking calls through the Colorado Quitline (800-639-QUIT) and the Colorado QuitNet.

Both the phone number and Web site can assist people in preparing for, committing to and succeeding with their resolutions to quit smoking.

Counseling services offered by the Colorado Quitline, which along with Colorado QuitNet, is operated by the State Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership based at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Currently, nearly 20 percent of the state's adult population -- more than 640,000 people -- smoke cigarettes. The vast majority of these smokers (85 percent) report wanting to quit, but only 4.5 percent who try are successful on their own.

Using the Colorado Quitline and the Colorado QuitNet can improve those odds significantly, health officials said.

A recent study showed that 28 percent of Coloradoans who completed the Quitline's counseling program continued to be smoke-free when they were surveyed six months after making their initial call. Likewise, more than 40 percent of QuitNet users who responded to an e-mail survey six months after registering for the service reported remaining smoke free.

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death and disability in Colorado and the nation, accounting for approximately 4,300 deaths in Colorado and 435,000 nationally each year.