In the U.S. there are an estimated 443,000 deaths every year due to cigarette smoke, the CDC reports. In an attempt to raise awareness and eradicate smoking, American Cancer Society marks its 37th Great American Smokeout on Nov. 15.
The day encourages smokers to use this date to plan to quit on that day. The American Cancer Society says on its website, "By quitting - even for one day - smokers will be taking an important step towards a healthier life - one that can lead to reducing cancer risk."
Great American Smokeout events started in the 1970s and continued to grow. The American Cancer Society states on its website that the day started with an event in Randolph, Massachusetts where a man asked people to give up cigarettes for one day and instead donate the money they would have spent on to a high school scholarship find.
The society states that tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of disease and premature death in the U.S. to date yet nearly one in five Americans still smoke, which is about 43.8 million in the U.S.
"Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for men and women. More than 80%of lung cancer deaths are thought to result from smoking. Smoking also causes cancers of the larynx (voice box), mouth, pharynx (throat), esophagus (swallowing tube), and bladder. It also has been linked to the development of cancers of the pancreas, cervix, ovary (mucinous), colon/rectum, kidney, stomach, and some types of leukemia. Cigars and pipes cause cancers, too," reports the American Cancer Society.
The American Cancer Society recommends the following to kick the smoking habit, as research has shown that these methods work:
- "Telephone smoking-cessation hotlines
- Stop-smoking groups
- Online quit groups
- Counseling
- Nicotine replacement products
- Prescription medicine to lessen cravings
- Guide books
- Encouragement and support from friends and family members"
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
