It’s just one day.Thursday marks the American Cancer Society’s 33rd annual Great American Smokeout, a one-day event that encourages smokers and other tobacco users to quit for one day.
The Alabama Department of Public Health is supporting the American Cancer Society’s efforts and is encouraging Alabama residents to participate in the Smokeout.
Coretta Grant, tobacco prevention and control coordinator with ADPH, said the day set aside is especially important for smokers who think it’s too difficult to quit.
“We thought that if people had a goal or aim or something to help them, and with this you have a whole lot of support because it’s not just you, it’s for everyone that’s smoking,” Grant said. “We want them to take this one day out for their health. We hope that after they take this one day and realize how much better it is after just one day, we hope they’ll take it further and do it a second day and a third.”
Information from the American Cancer Society indicates that tobacco use is still the largest preventable cause of disease and premature death across the county. An estimated 438,000 premature deaths, including 38,000 non-smokers who die as a result of second-hand exposure, occur in the United States.
According to statistics provided by the ADPH, more than 7,000 Alabama residents die each year as a result of tobacco use and an additional 1,000 people die from exposure to secondhand smoke. The statistics show 1 in 4 adults is a smoker and, according to the Alabama Youth Tobacco Survey, which was conducted earlier this year, more than 22 percent of high school students are smokers.
Both the ADPH and the American Cancer Society provide over-the-phone counseling for smokers who want to kick the habit.
“Our goal is to get them smoke free and provide anything possible to help them achieve that — be it a nicotine-replacement product or over-the-phone counseling because sometimes people just need that little extra push,” Grant said.
The Alabama Tobacco Cessation Quitline is accessible from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
“For all the smoker and tobacco users that call this number and if they decide they want to do this and go through the over-the-phone counseling session, we will send them free (nicotine) patches in the mail to help them in their effort to quit,” Grant said.
She said the program is provided to residents regardless of background or income, a tactic used to encourage more people to try to quit smoking.
People can also receive free, confidential counseling by calling the American Cancer Society Quitline at 1-800-227-2345.
For more information about the American Cancer Society and the Great American Smokeout, log on to www.cancer.org or call 1-800-ACS-2345.
