Great American Smokeout
Print PageThe Great American Smokeout challenges people to stop smoking cigarettes for 24 hours, hoping their decision not to smoke will last forever. This may seem like a small task but if you are a smoker you know even 24 hours can be an extreme challenge. In case you aren’t sure why you should quit here are plenty of reasons:
Health Impact of Tobacco
- Tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States.
- About half of all Americans who keep smoking will die because of the habit. Each year more than 480,000 people in the United States die from illnesses related to tobacco use. This means smoking causes about 1 out of 5 deaths in the US annually.
- Yet, 40 million American adults still smoke.
- The most important thing smokers can do to improve their health is to quit cigarettes and other forms of combustible tobacco.
Message to Smokers
- We are here to support you.
- Quitting cigarettes and other forms of tobacco is the most important step you can take to improve your health.
- Tobacco is one of the strongest and most deadly addictions one can have.
- We used to encourage smokers to quit cold turkey on a single day.
- We now know that quitting is a process. It starts with a plan, often takes time and requires a lot of support.
- The American Cancer Society is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide support, from the first steps of planning to living a healthy, smoke-free life. To find out more, visit cancer.org/smokeout or call 1-800-227-2345.