The “Great American Smokeout” is today and a spokesperson for the Iowa Chapter of the American Cancer Society is asking smokers to take a different approach to the annual event. A-C-S spokesman Chuck Reed says they’re encouraging smokers to use the day as a starting point to the end.
Reed says in year’s past it has always been a day where people quit smoking for a day, but this year he says they are asking smokers to use today to set a date when they will quit smoking. Reed says you should tell friends and family that the day you have chosen, and call the quit-line to get all the resources together you need to quit smoking. Reed says Iowa has made great strides in cutting the number of smokers with things like the state smoking ban.
He says that has made it harder to smoke in bars and restaurants and that makes it easier for people to quit. Reed says the increase in the cigarette tax was another incentive for people to stop smoking. Reed says you should use today to set a date to stop smoking and then take advantage of all the help available to let you follow through. He says you can start with the quit line.
He says you can call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or go to the American Cancer Society’s website at cancer.org and type in “Great American Smokeout” in the search bar to get tips on how to quit. Reed says smokers who quit find benefits on the very first day, and the benefits to your health will continue the longer you stay away from the cigarettes.