Cancer Society ‘Great American Smokeout’ to Be Observed Thursday

The American Cancer Society will celebrate the 31st anniversary of the Great American Smokeout on Thursday, Nov. 15.

With exactly half of the United States now protected by smoke- free laws, and a variety of cessation resources available, there has never been a better time to quit smoking and enjoy the health benefits.

On Nov. 15, Americans who smoke and want to quit are urged to call the American Cancer Society’s Quitline, a clinically proven, free, telephone-based counseling program, at 1-800-ACS-2345, or to log on to www.cancer.org/greatamericans, to embark on a personal plan to quit.

“The American Cancer Society is here to help smokers who want to quit, and we have an abundance of resources to assist. We urge smokers to learn more about quitting and make a plan to begin a smoke-free life by calling the Society’s Quitline at 1-800-ACS- 2345,” said Dr. Elmer E. Huerta, president of the society.

The society’s Quitline is available in 12 states and the District of Columbia as well as in more than 75 businesses and health plans nationwide. Quitline staff have provided support to more than 280,000 smokers since its inception in 2000. Studies have shown that more than 40 percent of people who were contacted six months after completing the Quitline program remained smoke-free, which puts the society’s quit rates among the highest in the industry.

The Great American Smokeout Web site will feature 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 will continue to provide tips, tools, and resources, as well as the successful 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.

The American Cancer Society 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 American Cancer Society 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 American Cancer Society Great American Health Challenge, a year-round initiative that encourages Americans to adopt healthy lifestyles to reduce their risk of cancer.

More information on the Great American Health Challenge is available at www.cancer.org/greatamericans or by calling 1-800-ACS- 2345.

The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering and preventing cancer through research, education, advocacy and service. Founded in 1913 and with national headquarters in Atlanta, the Society has 13 regional Divisions and local offices in 3,400 communities, involving millions of volunteers across the United States. For more information anytime, call toll free 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.

In West Virginia, you may contact the Tobacco Clearinghouse at the West Virginia Library Commission in the Cultural Center by calling 1-800-642-9021 Ext. 8. Prevention topics available through the clearinghouse include smoking cessation and prevention, tobacco and pregnancy, spit tobacco, smoke-free air and many other aspects of tobacco prevention.

You may also call West Virginia’s Tobacco Cessation Quitline, a state-based company designed to assist tobacco users who want to quit using tobacco products. Qualified participants may receive Nicotine Replacement Therapy at little or no cost. You may call the Tobacco Clearinghouse at WVLC toll free at 1-877-966-8784.

The Tobacco Prevention Clearinghouse distributes materials through tobacco prevention specialists and other health care personnel and interested agencies and their staffs. Funds for this program are administered by the West Virginia Library Commission and provided by the Department for Health and Human Resources.

For more information, contact Junior Thomas, in-state toll-free at 800-642-9021, ext. 8 or locally at 304-558-0950, ext. 2053 or by faxing orders to 304-558-3632.

(c) 2007 Charleston Gazette, The. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.