If you got 'em, stub 'em out!

November 20 is the Great American Smokeout, the day each year when the American Cancer Society urges smokers to set aside their cigarettes and lose their lighters. Inaugurated in 1976 to inspire and encourage smokers to quit for one day, about twenty-two million people tried to kick the habit within the last year, and with more cessation tools available than ever before, success rates are rising.

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.

With all the resources available to help smokers quit, there has never been a better time to quit smoking, and the American Cancer Society is here to help. If you smoke, make a plan and set the Great American Smokeout, November 20, 2008, as your quit date. Call the American Cancer Society Quitline at 1-800-227-2345 to speak with a trained counselor and receive free, confidential counseling, as well as be connected with smoking cessation resources in your community, social support groups, and medication assistance referrals.

The American Cancer Society 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.

If you’re not a smoker – good for you – you can still get involved. Organize a “Swap your tobacco products” campaign at your school. We know how hard it can be to talk to a loved one about their nasty smoking habit, so we compiled a list of tips to show them that you are genuinely concerned for their and your well being.. Click here on even more ideas on how you can support the smoking cessation cause.