Every year for the past 40 years, on the third Thursday in November, The American Cancer Society invites smokers to make the day their “day one” of quitting. Beyond just that day, the organization’s goal is to help people live a smoke-free life year-round. The Great American Smokeout is just the first step in challenging people and giving them the tools to quit smoking and prevent them from falling back into the deadly habit.

The American Cancer Society estimates that about 34 million American adults still smoke cigarettes and that smoking causes around 480,000 deaths every year, which amounts to about 1 in 5 deaths. That means that even to this day smoking remains the single largest preventable cause of death and illness in the world.

The History of The Great American Smokeout

In November of 1976, The American Cancer Society California Division challenged people to quit smoking for a day and when they saw more than 1 million people engage in the event, the American Cancer Society made the Smokeout a national event. In the 40 years of its history, the event has propelled changes in legislation and society across the United States.

Because of stronger smoke-free policies, media campaigns and increasing tobacco prices from 1965 to 2016, cigarette smoking among adults in the United States decreased from 42% to 15.5%.

When You Stop Smoking 

Now is the time to stop using the excuse that “it is too late to quit” because that is never the case. As soon as you stop using tobacco, you start to reduce your chances of getting cancer, diabetes and other diseases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states the immediate effects of stopping the use of tobacco are:

  • Food starts to taste better
  • Within 20 minutes your heart rate and blood pressure drop
  • Teeth and fingernails stop yellowing
  • You’ll be less out of breath doing ordinary activities like climbing stairs
  • Sense of smell starts to get back to normal

Longer-term benefits include improved circulation and lung function, coughing and shortness of breath eases and the risk of heart attack drops. After 15 years of living smoke-free, the risk of coronary heart disease actually becomes close to that of a person who has never smoked.

It Is Hard To Quit, But It Is Not Impossible

There are a lot of reasons why quitting smoking is hard, from habit to chemical impacts of nicotine on the human body, but that doesn’t mean you can’t stop. The CDC states that one key to successfully quitting is having a plan. Your customized quitting plan should include steps like:

  • Picking a quit date, like The Great American Smokeout
  • Letting loved ones know you are quitting
  • Identifying reasons to quit
  • Identifying triggers
  • Getting rid of reminders like ashtrays and lighters
  • Having withdrawal coping strategies in place such as gum, therapy or medication
  • Setting up rewards for milestones (one day, week, month, year, etc.)

Nicotine is so addictive that it can take users several attempts to quit, but that doesn’t mean anyone should give up if their first time is unsuccessful. Reach out for support from family and friends and find a system that works for you. There are many solutions and methods that can help with the quitting process like in-person programs, self-help materials, prescription medicine and nicotine replacements.

If you are looking for more resources to help on your quitting journey, call the Colorado QuitLine at 1-800-784-8669. For additional resources and professional advice setting up a quitting plan, call Prowers Medical Center Clinic at 719-336-6767 to schedule an appointment with your primary care provider.