Smoke Less, Quit for the Day, Or Help Someone Quit
Thursday, November 16, 2006

What is the SmokeOut?
Every year, smokers across the nation take part in the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout® by smoking less or quitting for the day. The event challenges people to stop using tobacco and raises awareness of the many effective ways to quit for good. The idea was inspired by Arthur P. Mullaney of Randolph, Massachusetts, who in 1971 had asked people to give up cigarettes for a day and donate the money they would have spent on cigarettes to a high school scholarship fund. Soon after, on November 18, 1976, the California Division of the American Cancer Society successfully prompted nearly one million smokers to quit for the day. That California event marked the first SmokeOut, and the Society took it nationwide in 1977.

How can someone quit successfully?
Research shows that smokers kick the habit most successfully when they have some means of support, such as nicotine replacement products, professional support in behavior change, and prescription medicine to lessen cravings, all in addition to the encouragement of friends and family members. However, only about 1 in 7 current smokers reports having tried any of the recommended supportive methods during his or her last quit attempt.

In order to help more smokers access the help they need, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has created a free cessation program from the comfort of the smoker's living room: The Colorado QuitLine. The Colorado QuitLine is a free telephone support service, providing smokers with their own individualized quit plan, personal quit coach, and offering up to 8-weeks of the nicotine patch for free to participants. To enroll, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

For more information on smoking cessation in El Paso County and on finding support, call the Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership at 578-3287.

Ways that YOU can get involved in the Great American SmokeOut:
· Kindly talk to a friend or loved one about giving up smoking
· Host a cessation talk at your worksite to provide more information on quitting smoking
· Reduce your own exposure to smoke
· Form a supportive group for people who are looking to quit
· Raise awareness of the health consequences of secondhand smoke
· Talk to teenagers in your life about the dangers of smoking and the addictiveness of the product