Nov. 18 marks the 23rd annual Great American Smokeout, hosted by the ACS or American Cancer Society. The goal of this event is to encourage smokers to quit for just one day — in the hope that they will carry on a new and healthier smoke-free lifestyle.
“If they can stop for one day, they can stop for a lifestyle,” said ACS spokeswoman Jane Heneham.
And the ACS considers the event a success. In 1998, approximately 9 million smokers participated in the event, Heneham said. Of these participants, 890,000 stopped smoking for one to five days following the Smokeout.
Dr. Gilbert Ross, medical director of the American Council on Science and Health, said that while the Great American Smokeout offers smokers an important impetus to quit, long-term cessation may not be as easy as stopping for one day.
“Without help,” he said, “less than 10 percent of habitual smokers are able to quit. Even with a variety of smoking-cessation aids now available, only about one quarter of smokers are able to permanently quit. This is due to the powerful hold of nicotine.”
Cigarette smoking is the leading reason of disability and death in the US, contributing to 430,000 deaths each year. Tobacco contains nicotine, an addictive substance that makes smoking difficult to give up.
Not only does cigarette smoking cause lung cancer, but it is a principal cause of numerous other malignancies, such as esophageal and pancreatic cancer. Cigarette smoking has also been linked to cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease and stroke; chronic lung disease, namely emphysema; reduced fertility and male impotence; and hearing and vision problems.
Twenty-five percent of American adults — roughly 48 million — smoke cigarettes. While the prevalence of smoking has dropped considerably since 1965 — a time when over 40 percent of the over-18 population smoked — the downward trend has leveled out since 1990.
More troubling is that the rate of smoking among high school and college students appears on the rise. According to a national survey, the percentage of high school students who smoked at least once in 30 days increased from 30 percent to 36.5 percent between 1991 and 1997.
Another recent survey of 116 four-year colleges reported that current smoking among college students aged 18 to 24 jumped from 22 percent in 1993 to almost 29 percent in 1997.
“Educating our youth about the hazards of smoking is critical to reversing this dangerous trend. If we don’t succeed, the rate of adult smoking will inevitably rise as well,” Ross said. “Kids mistakenly believe they can smoke for a few years and then quit. They don’t fully appreciate how powerfully addicting nicotine is.”
The Great American Smokeout tries to help adult smokers stop smoking and to discourage young people from starting by increasing awareness about the dangers of tobacco use.
Smokers who are interested in quitting should consult a physician or other health professional for help, Ross said.
The event is coming soon. Use Nov. 18 to learn more about the harmful effects of cigarette smoking and kick the habit — for good.
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