Published: November 18, 2008 04:53 pm      

Stop smoking "cold turkey" during Great American Smokeout

On Thursday, Nov. 20, the American Cancer Society will celebrate the 32nd anniversary of the Great American Smokeout, a nationally recognized campaign geared towards educating the public on the dangers associated with tobacco use and encouraging smokers to quit for a lifetime by starting with just one day.

The Great American Smokeout grew out of a 1974 event in Randolph, MA, where Arthur P. Mullaney 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.

In 1974, Lynn R. Smith, editor of the Monticello Times in Minnesota, spearheaded the state's first Don't Smoke Day. The idea caught on, and on Nov. 18, 1976, the California division of the American Cancer Society succeeded in getting nearly one million smokers to quit for the day, marking the first Great American Smokeout.

Although the number of cigarette-smoking adults has declined over the years, roughly one in four adults and one in five teenagers in the United States are current smokers, and lung cancer remains the number one cancer killer among men and women.

This year alone, the American Cancer Society predicts approximately 215,000 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S., and an estimated 161,840 will die from the disease.

Although there has been great progress, such as smoke-free laws, there is much more to accomplish to significantly reduce tobacco-related cancer diagnoses and deaths.

On Nov. 20, Cumberland County residents who smoke and want to quit are urged to call the Tennessee Tobacco Quitline, a free telephone-based counseling program, at 1-800-QUIT-NOW. In addition, those wanting tips to stop smoking can log on to www. cancer.org to embark on a personal plan to quit.

In honor of the Great American Smokeout, all three Subway locations in Crossville will offer their turkey subs at a special 50 percent off regular price all day to encourage everyone to stop smoking "cold turkey" for one day. They are located at 639 N. Main Street, 40 Crossing Way in front of Goody's and 361 Sweeny Drive inside the Vanity Fair Factory Outlet.

"This is a positive way to quit smoking," said Ruth Lucas, health educator at the Cumberland County Health Department. "This is the third year Subway has joined us to help bring attention to the Great American Smokeout."

For more information about how to get involved in the Great American Smokeout and to learn more about tobacco cessation strategies, call American Cancer Society's Quitline at 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.