Great American Smokeout

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Great American Smokeout History

Today is the Great American Smokeout.  This informal annual event encourages Americans to stop tobacco smoking for 24 hours, hoping the decision not to smoke will last forever.  

The Great American Smokeout is promoted by the American Cancer Society and is held on the third Thursday of November each year in an effort to reduce cases of preventable cancers, reduce secondhand smoke and improve the health of all Americans.  As everyone knows, smoking has been shown to cause a variety of cancers, most notably lung and mouth cancer. Lung cancer is currently the leading cause of Cancer death in the United States and the most preventable type of cancer worldwide.  

Great American Smokeout Facts & Quotes

  • The holiday began in 1970, when a man in Massachusetts asked people to give up smoking for one day, and donate the money saved to the local high school scholarship fund.
  • According to the Center for Disease Control, smoking is responsible for 1 in 3 cancer-related deaths, and 1 in 5 deaths from any cause.  Worldwide, tobacco use causes more than 5 million deaths per year.
  • The Center for Disease Control states that life expectancy for smokers is 10 years less than that of non-smokers.
  • The Center for Disease Control states that a middle-aged man who smokes, triples his risk of dying from some type of heart disease.
  • More Doctors Smoke Camels than Any Other Cigarette - line used in 1949 commercial for Camel Cigarettes

If you are a smoker, 

  •  Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW for support in quitting.  If you're in Plaquemines Parish, you can also call the Plaquemines Community CARE Centers Foundation, Inc. @ 504-393-5750.
  • Talk to someone you know who smokes and challenge them to quit for the day.
  • Chew sugarless gum as an alternative.  
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