'Don't Give Up'

Aug. 7, 2006 — -- In the days after Peter Jennings died, ABC News was deluged with messages from smokers who promised to quit the habit.

We've followed three of them for the past year, including Kit Herring, a novelist and father. He said that while he's relapsed several times, he is now seven months smoke-free.

"This is the longest I've been smoke-free since I was 14 years old," Herring said.

He said part of what keeps him going is the memory of Jennings' final broadcast. On April 5, 2005, the anchor told viewers he had been diagnosed with lung cancer, explaining that he'd been a smoker until about 20 years ago, but was "weak" and had picked up cigarettes again after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

"Peter Jennings always seemed like such a rugged and indestructible character," Herring said. "When he admitted his own weakness … I realized that, jeez, none of us are immune."

Jennings' illness had an impact on two other smokers that we followed, Anna Marvevska and Nancy Ferris, although they have both returned to the smoking habit.

"The failure of it is an embarrassment, because it feels like it should not be that hard," Ferris said.

Although quitting smoking presents its challenges, Jennings' death has contributed to what some public health advocates call a "watershed" year in the anti-smoking campaign.

Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico joined seven states in passing anti-smoking laws, and calls to "quit lines" from smokers are up. There are also new tools for those who wish to quit, including the drug Chantix, which is supposed to help reduce cravings in smokers.

More employers offer incentives for their staffers to quit, while banning smoking in the workplace. Marriott hotels, for example, are going smoke-free for both customers and those who work there.

If you want to quit, experts said, keep trying, even if you fail repeatedly.

"Don't give up. Just because you fail once does not mean you can't do it," Herring said. "Please, please keep trying."

After 15 tries, Herring is finally off the cigarettes and, as he put it, every breath is a gift in part from Peter Jennings.