If you haven’t done it already, Nov. 20 could be the day. Millions of people quit smoking for a day or longer during the Great American Smoke-out – held on the third Thursday of November.

This nationally recognized event challenges people to stop using tobacco and raises awareness about the many effective ways to quit for good. Silverton Hospital is ready to help with free Quit Kits. Each kit is packed with things to assist in stopping smoking. There is the Quitting for Life handbook, along with other pamphlets and a resource list that offers contact numbers for organizations that provide online, phone, and individual support. The kits also include chewing gum and mints to give your mouth an activity, tea for a healthier alternative to coffee, rubber bands to put on your wrists so your hands have something to do, and a water bottle to help you when you’re feeling hungry or are having withdrawal symptoms. The Great American Smoke-out has helped bring about dramatic changes in Americans’ attitudes about smoking. It began in the 1970s when smoking and secondhand smoke were commonplace. The idea grew out of a 1971 event, when Massachusetts resident Arthur Mullaney asked people to give up smoking for a day and donate the money they would have spent on cigarettes to a local high school. Following similar events in both Minnesota and California, the American Cancer Society took it nationwide in 1977. Today, an estimated 47 million adults in the United States are smokers. Tobacco use can cause lung cancer, as well as other cancers, heart disease, and respiratory disease; and each year smoking is responsible for one in five deaths. The past 25 years have seen tremendous strides in reversing attitudes toward smoking, understanding the addiction, and learning how to help people quit. For people thinking about quitting, the Great American Smoke-out offers public support and a feeling of camaraderie with others who are giving up cigarettes. Many people never pick up another cigarette after the Smoke-out, especially if they have planned their quit day in advance. Research shows that smokers are most successful in kicking the habit permanently when they have some means of support such as nicotine replacement therapy, counseling, guide books, and the encouragement of friends and family members. If you’re ready to quit, you should know you’re not alone. The American Cancer Society provides a variety of progressive, science-based resources that can double your chances of quitting successfully.

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