Great American Smokeout is Nov. 20

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  • RAF Mildenhall Health & Wellness Center
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  The 33rd Great American Smokeout is Nov. 20. The Great American Smokeout was inaugurated in 1976 to inspire and encourage smokers to quit for one day. 

Now, 44.2 percent of the 45.3 million Americans who smoke have attempted to quit for at least one day in the past year, and the Great American Smokeout remains a great opportunity to encourage people to commit to making a long-term plan to quit for good.

With all the resources available to help smokers quit, there has never been a better time to quit smoking, and the Health and Wellness Centers on RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall are here to help. 

If you smoke, make a plan and set the Great American Smokeout, Nov. 20, as your quit date. The HAWC is offering two special tobacco cessation classes on that day. The classes will be a "one stop shop". 

The class will cover the skills to quit, a discussion with a behavioral health provider who will provide tips to stay quit, and a medical provider who will provide a health screening and prescribe medications to help with the quitting process if you desire them. 

The class will be held on RAF Lakenheath from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m., and on RAF Mildenhall from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the HAWCs. The HAWC is also sponsoring a poster and essay contest for school age children with the theme of "How to get your parents or adult role model to stop using tobacco." 

The RAF Lakenheath HAWC will host an information booth at the BX on Nov. 18 from 11 a.m to 1 p.m., and the RAF Mildenahll HAWC will host an information booth a the BXTRA on Nov. 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Studies have found that a tobacco cessation class can more than double a person's chances of successfully quitting tobacco..

The American Cancer Society also offers other free resources - through Quitline and at www.cancer.org/GreatAmericans - that can increase a smoker's chances of quitting successfully, including tips and tools for friends, family, and coworkers of potential quitters to help them be aware and supportive of the struggle to quit smoking. 

Studies show the importance of social support in quitting smoking, as people are most likely to quit smoking when their friends, family, and coworkers decide to quit smoking. 

Popular online social networks such as Facebook and MySpace are also becoming support channels for people who want to quit, and American Cancer Society Smokeout-related downloadable desktop applications are available on these networks to help people quit or join the fight against tobacco. 

The Department of Defense sponsored www.ucanquit2.org site also has great information on quitting and provides toll free numbers for 24 hour support in the quitting process.

"A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that social networks are helpful in quitting smoking," said [spokesperson]. "Friends and family can help the most by being aware and supportive of the struggle to quit, and the American Cancer Society has resources to help them show support for their loved one who is trying to quit."

Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States. Each year, smoking accounts for an estimated 438,000 premature deaths, including 38,000 deaths among nonsmokers as a result of secondhand smoke. 

Half of all Americans who continue to smoke will die from smoking-related diseases.

Also imperative in this effort to encourage people to quit smoking are smoke-free laws and higher tobacco taxes which make it harder for people to smoke, and protect nonsmokers from tobacco smoke. 

The majority of U.S. communities are now covered by smoke-free laws, while 43 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have raised tobacco taxes since 2000. 

Smokers nationwide now face an average cost of $4.32 for one pack of cigarettes, not including all taxes. The rising cost of living is also affecting smokers, as the cost of cigarettes presents an even greater burden. 

Smoke-free workplace laws and other tobacco control legislation, supported by the Society and its nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action NetworkSM, help protect Americans from secondhand smoke and encourage smokers to quit.