Smokers urged to quit during Great American Smokeout
Tuesday, November 11, 2008The American Cancer Society will celebrate the 31st anniversary of the Great American Smokeout on Thursday, Nov. 15.
On that day, Americans who smoke and want to quit to are urged to call the ACS's Quitline at 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org/greatamericans.
The Great American Smokeout Web site features new desktop helpers, including a Quit Clock and a Craving Stopper. These tools can be downloaded to a computer desktop to help smokers pick a quit day, prepare for quitting and offer support during and after quitting. In addition, the site provides tips, tools and resources, as well as the Quitline call-back feature, which allows smokers to submit a short form to be directly contacted by a trained specialist who will provide assistance during a quit attempt.
According to the U.S. Surgeon General, in 1990, people who quit smoking, regardless of age, live longer than people who continue to smoke, and quitting smoking substantially decreases the risk of lung, laryngeal, esophageal, oral, pancreatic, bladder and cervical cancers.
In addition to encouraging smokers to make a plan to quit, the Great American Smokeout is a day for Americans to join the ACS and the ACS Cancer Action Network in their efforts to advocate for smoke-free laws in communities nationwide.
The ACS, South Atlantic Division, also urges individuals who plan to quit smoking to visit its Web site, www.smokefreeyou.org.
The ACS Great American Smokeout grew out of a 1971 event in Randolph, Mass., in which Arthur P. Mullaney asked people to give up cigarettes for a day and donate the money they would have spent on cigarettes to a high school scholarship fund. In 1974, Lynn R. Smith, editor of the Monticello Times in Minnesota, spearheaded the state's first D-Day, or Don't Smoke Day. The idea caught on, and on Nov. 18, 1976, the California Division of the ACS succeeded in getting nearly one million smokers to quit for the day. That California event marked the first Great American Smokeout, which went nationwide the next year.
The Great American Smokeout is part of the ACS Great American Health Challenge, a year-round initiative that encourages Americans to adopt healthy lifestyles to reduce their risk of cancer. For more information on the Great American Health Challenge, call 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org/greatamericans.
Special to The T&D
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