Great American Smokeout — November 19, 2015

Weekly

November 13, 2015 / 64(44);1233

Sponsored by the American Cancer Society, the Great American Smokeout is an annual event that encourages smokers to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking on that day, in an effort to stop smoking permanently (1). The 40th annual Great American Smokeout will be held on November 19, 2015.

In the more than 50 years since the first Surgeon General's report on smoking and health, cigarette smoking among U.S. adults has been reduced by half. However, since 1964, an estimated 20 million persons have died because of smoking, which is the leading preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in the United States (2).

About two out of three adult smokers want to quit smoking cigarettes, and more than half made a quit attempt in the preceding year (2). However, in 2014, an estimated 16.8% (approximately 40 million) of U.S. adults still smoke (3). Getting effective help through counseling and medications can increase the chances of quitting by as much as three-fold (4).

Additional information and support for quitting smoking is available by telephone at 800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669). CDC's Tips from Former Smokers campaign offers additional quit resources at http://www.cdc.gov/tips.

References

American Cancer Society. The Great American Smokeout. Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society; 2015.
US Department of Health and Human Services. The health consequences of smoking—50 years of progress: a report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2014.
Jamal A, Homa DM, O'Connor E, et al. Current cigarette smoking among adults — United States, 2005–2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2015;64:1233–40.
Fiore MC, Jaen CR, Baker TB, et al. Treating tobacco use and dependence: 2008 update. Clinical practice guideline. Respir Care 2008;53:1217–22.