Nov. 19, 2009, marks the 32nd nationally recognized “Great American Smoke Out." The Smoke Out actually began in 1971, when Randolph, Mass. resident, Arthur P. Mullaney challenged local residents to quit smoking for the day and donate the money they would have spent on cigarettes to a local school scholarship fund. However, it was the efforts of Lynn R. Smith, Monticello, Minn. newspaper editor, who lead the state's first ever D-Day or Don’t Smoke Day in 1974. Three years later the Smoke Out became a nationally recognized campaign.
The Great American Smoke Out continues playing a significant role in educating people about the dangers of tobacco smoke and accounts for changes to federal and state smoking legislation. From 1965-2005 the number of smoking adults aged 18 and older declined 50 percent from 42 to 21 percent. Presently, more than 2,344 municipalities have passed smoke-free legislation and several states, including Minnesota, have enacted statewide smoking bans that prohibit smoking in workplaces and/or restaurants and/or bars.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 45 million Americans continue smoking despite huge prevention efforts underscoring the dangers of tobacco use. The percentage of Americans smoking remains higher in those states where the focus on prevention is minimal and state laws remain lenient. Currently, Kentucky has the highest percentage of smokers at 25.3 percent and Utah reports the least at 9.2 percent.
Today, smoking-related diseases remain the most preventable cause of death in our country. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that smoking accounts for at least 30 percent of all cancer deaths and 87 percent of lung cancer deaths. Half of all Americans who continue to smoke will die from smoking related diseases. The American Cancer Society reports that the number of Americans who die each year from smoking related diseases totals 438,000 or 1 in 5 people. Remember, these deaths are preventable and it’s never too late to quit smoking tobacco. In fact, current research by the Surgeon General documents the following benefits when you stop smoking:
• 20 minutes after quitting your heart rate and blood pressure drops
• 12 hours after quitting the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
• 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting your circulation improves and your lung function increases
• 1 to 9 months after quitting coughing and shortness of breath decrease
• 1 year after quitting your excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker's
Are you a smoker who, like many other smokers, has tried several times to quit? Do you know someone who smokes that you would like to see quit? The perfect day for this life-saving decision is Thursday, Nov. 19. Join the fight along with millions of Americans and agree to quit, or support someone who does, on that day. After all, you can do anything for just one day, right?
For more information about how to get involved in the Great American Smoke Out and to learn about tobacco cessation strategies, call 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org
