Ask most former smokers and they will tell you how hard it is to kick the habit. If you are trying to quit smoking, news this afternoon from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may give you hope.

The study, in this week's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, finds fewer adults are smoking. And while the numbers are not startling - 19.8 percent of U.S. adults smoked in 2007 versus 20.8 percent in 2006 - it is the first significant decrease since 2003.

"The good news, we continue to see fewer people smoking," says Janet Collins, director of the CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. "The bad news is we need more people to quit." Public health officials had hoped to lower the smoking rate to 12 percent by 2010. Based on current trends, that's not likely to happen. Smoking, as we all know, is a serious public health crisis. It causes at least 30 percent of all cancer deaths each year, including more than 80 percent of lung cancer deaths.

Experts say there is no easy way to quit. But here are tips to get you started.

Write down why you want to quit. Is it because you are sick and tired of not being able to walk up stairs? Want to set a better example for your kids? Sick of smelling like smoke? As the CDC points out in its online brochure, “You Can Quit Smoking,” people who live after a heart attack are the most likely to quit for good. They are VERY motivated.

Plan to reward your own success. Once you decide why you want to stop, come up with a reward. I once heard of a man who saved all the money he typically spent on cigarettes and bought himself a brand new fishing rod.

Set a "quit day." One former smoker I know decided to "sin boldly" in the days before she quit. Just as some people do before they go on a diet, she allowed herself to smoke as much as she wanted. If you want to stop smoking soon, a great opportunity is just a week away. The Great American Smokeout is next Thursday, November 20. Click here to get more information.

Don't do it alone. You don't need to yell it from a mountaintop, but don't keep your decision a secret. Tell your friends and family. Ask them for support. Be honest if you feel they are sabotaging your efforts. Don't allow people to smoke in your home. If you need support outside your circle, click here for more information.

An iReport from Janet Bollero of Winter Garden, Florida, caught my eye today.  Bollero says tomorrow's election is stressing her out.  In fact, she’s ‘measured’ how anxious she is with a Stress-o-meter.  Bollero registered at “frightfully frazzled.”  Now granted that the “stress-o-meter” is nothing more than a novelty, Bollero makes an interesting point. Psychologists tell us many of their patients are freaked out over the election.  "I haven't seen this kind of anxiety since 9/11," says Nancy Molitor a clinical psychologist in a suburb of North Chicago.  Molitor says many of her clients are pinning their hopes on one candidate to fix the economy, end the war in Iraq and keep us safe.  Other people are worried about voter fraud and the safety of the candidates.  Here are some things to keep in mind when it comes to stress.   

YOU CAN CONTROL ONLY YOUR ACTIONS “You can’t control the outcome,” says Molitor.  She says it is important to be realistic.  Focus on what you CAN do, such as vote or canvass for your candidate.  Also, don’t lose perspective. Focus on the good things in your life, a job you love or a family that brings you meaning.  Says Molitor, just as after 9-11, “Life will go on.”  

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY Often when we are stressed out, our eating habits go into autopilot.  Don’t mindlessly eat the left over Halloween candy.  Make sure you are eating food such as fruits and veggies that won’t make your blood sugar yo-yo.  Also, watch how much you are drinking. All those things can alter your mood and make a bad situation worse.

WHAT IF MY GUY LOSES? Believe it or not, experts say for some people it will be like a death in the family.  As funny as it may sound, you may need to go through the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.  Embrace the pain and work through it.  If you are still bummed out two to three weeks after Election Day, you may want to seek professional help.

While grocery shopping this weekend, I spent more time than usual in the baby section. I was reading up on infant formula. No, I don't have a baby. But I have been following the Chinese infant formula scandal closely. Officials say this tainted formula was laced with melamine, a chemical commonly used in floor tiles, kitchenware and fire retardant fabrics. Melamine can also be used to cause falsely high readings of protein levels in milk, a key component of baby formula. Not only is that dishonest, it is dangerous. It can lead to kidney stones, kidney failure and in extreme cases, death. As I type, close to 53,000 children are sick, and four have died after consuming the toxic formula. Now tests have found melamine in samples of liquid milk taken from China's two largest dairy producers. More products are under scrutiny. The scandal widens. It also made me wonder, how safe is my family? How safe is your family? Here are four questions you should ask.

1. Is infant formula bought in traditional stores safe?
Yes. From the early days of this scandal, The Food and Drug Administration says it checked with all the companies that distribute infant formula in the United States. The companies assured the FDA that none of their formulas or source materials came from China. The FDA says it has confirmed this. If you would like to read more about the FDA guidelines for infant formula, click here.

2. Is infant formula found in Asian markets ok?
Infant formula made in China is illegal in the United States. But it has been know to find its way into American-Asian markets. Investigators have visited more than 1,000 Asian stores. They are also checking the borders. So far, none of the bad formula has been found. But if you do have it, throw it away.

3. What about buying infant formula off the Internet?
Be careful. It may seem like a deal, but it could make your child very sick. The FDA says not to purchase infant formula made in China from the Internet or from other sources. Again, infant formula approved by the FDA is safe.

4. What about other Chinese products containing milk that have been imported to the United States? Are they safe?
It is unclear. In Singapore, for example, officials say they found melamine in strawberry milk, yogurt bars and candy. We checked around and found that "White Rabbit Creamy Candy" is sold in specialty stores in the United States. In fact, we purchased some. The merchant told us that so far, she hasn't been asked to pull it off the shelves. We checked with the FDA. The FDA says it is testing products with milk and milk-derived ingredients from Chinese sources and if they contain melamine, they will pull it off the shelves immediately.

My heart breaks for the family of Keith and Kay Lynn Garcia.  I was on vacation last week when I heard about their deaths.  Though I have never met Keith and Kay Lynn, I can’t stop thinking about them.  The twins, who were born a month prematurely, were two of the 14 babies who were accidentally given an overdose of the blood thinner Heparin at a Texas hospital.

The babies received 100 times the amount of Heparin they should have been given.  Autopsies are being performed to find out for sure if it was indeed the Heparin that killed the Garcia twins.  In the meantime, the hospital is conducting an investigation into what happened.  Officials at Christus Spohn Hospital South say the pharmacy made a “mixing error.”  The two workers are on voluntary leave.

The Institute of Medicine estimates that 1.5 million people are harmed by medication errors each year. Over the years, I have talked to many doctors, nurses and other medical professionals about this alarming number.  No one is proud of it.  In the case of what happened in Texas, there is little a parent can do, but there are some practical steps you can take to lower the risk of other medication errors when you or family members are in the hospital.

1. Get your meds in writing
Ask for a list of all the medications you're supposed to be given, what they look like, and when you should get them. Then, when a nurse comes around to give you your medications, you know if they have it right, says Hedy Cohen, vice president of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices.

2. Make sure this is really YOUR medicine
Especially if your name is "Smith" or "Jones." "I personally saw a mom say to a nurse, 'Hey, the IV bag you're about to give my son has another child's name on it,' " Cohen says. She recommends showing the nurse your ID bracelet every time you're given a medicine.

Of course, it can be tough to notice mistakes when you're sick. That's why researchers who specialize in medical errors say it's very important to have someone with you in the hospital.

3. Get dramatic if you have to
Dr. Albert Wu, a professor at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, says when his friend's daughter was in the hospital, his friend realized a nurse was about to administer the wrong medicine. When Wu's friend told her this was not the medication the doctor had ordered, the nurse didn't believe him. "He threw himself across the bed until they realized the medication was for the next patient," Wu says.

For more tips on becoming an Empowered Patient, check out CNN.com/empoweredpatient