Quitting Smoking via the Great American Smokeout

Today, the third Thursday of November, is the 31st anniversary of the Great American Smokeout, a day the American Cancer Society has dedicated to helping smokers quit all tobacco-related addictions. The Great American Smokeout has chapters across America, and local chapters encourage the people in their areas to be tobacco-free.

As Hannah Bell, the communications and marketing specialist with the Mid-South Division of the American Cancer Society says, this day is dedicated to encouraging smokers get rid of their habit for a day by providing them with a plan that would enable them to be successful in their endeavors on a long-term basis.

Bell says quitting smoking can be a real tough issue, and many times a smoker may have to quit multiple times before he is finally able to kick the habit. Bell says if a person can quit smoking even for a day, there is hope. With that minimal effort completed successfully, a smoker could know he or she stood a real chance of kicking the habit.

People wanting to quit smoking have two options about getting in touch with someone about their smoking problem. They can either call the Quitline set up for this purpose (800-227-2345) or visit www.cancer.org/greatamericans. Either of these approaches would provide them with access to the counseling, which would work towards designing a personalized quit plan.

Bell said a vital aspect of the whole act of quitting smoking is the act of trying. She said there are nowadays a large number of tools and resources available on the Internet for people wanting to quit. These include helpers one can install on the desktop, such as a craving-stopper and also a quit clock.

The website mentioned above supports smokers trying to quit, and maintains that support even during the days post quitting. Along with the tools, the site also provides users with tips and resources. One of the highlights of the site is the Quitline feature.

Smokers who wish to give quitting a try are directed to call the Quitline, a call-back help line the American Cancer Society has set up for smokers. It is a counseling service provided over telephone for free to smokers wanting to quit. Smokers need to fill a form when they wish to make use of this feature. The data they provide on the form enables a trained specialist to contact them directly and help them overcome their habit.

The Great American Smokeout, like most other big events and companies, had a small beginning. It started off in 1971 as a solitary event in Randolph, Massachusetts. During that event, Arthur P. Mullaney launched an appeal to the people to stop their smoking habit for a day and instead donate the money they saved by not smoking on that day to a high school scholarship fund.

Since then, the event has continued to grow steadily. November 18, 1976, saw the American Cancer Society’s California chapter successfully get 1 million people off their smoking routine for one whole day. That day became the benchmark and is recognized as the first official Great American Smokeout. It became a national event in 1978, and has remained so ever since.