In what’s become a de facto national holiday, The Great American Smokeout – during which the nation is asked to abandon its tobacco habit – is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 20.
The American Cancer Society marks the smokeout on the third Thursday of November each year by encouraging smokers to use the date to make a plan to quit or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. By quitting, even for one day, smokers will be taking an important step toward a more healthful life – one that can lead to reducing cancer risk.
The health benefits of quitting start from the moment of smoking cessation. Quitting while younger will reduce health risks more, but quitting at any age can give back years of life that would be lost by continuing to smoke, the society’s website says.
The smokeout has helped dramatically change Americans’ attitudes about smoking. These changes have led to community programs and smoke-free laws that are now saving lives in many states. Annual Great American Smokeout events began in the 1970s, when smoking and secondhand smoke were commonplace.
Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States, yet about 42 million Americans still smoke cigarettes — a bit under 1 in every 5 adults. As of 2012, there were also 13.4 million cigar smokers in the nation and 2.3 million who smoke tobacco in pipes — other dangerous and addictive forms of tobacco.