Every year, on the third Thursday of November, smokers across the nation take part in the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout. The annual event encourages tobacco users to use the date to make a plan to quit, or plan in advance and then quit smoking that day. By quitting – even for 1 day – smokers will be taking an important step toward a healthier life and reducing their cancer risk.

About 40 million Americans still smoke cigarettes, and tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the world. While cigarette smoking rates have dropped, other dangerous and addictive ways to smoke tobacco are very much on the rise. Smoking kills people – there’s no “safe” way to smoke tobacco.

Quitting smoking has immediate and long-term benefits at any age. Quitting is hard, but you can increase your chances of success with help. Getting help through counseling or medications can double or triple the chances of quitting successfully. Join millions of smokers around the country in quitting tobacco on November 17 for the Great American Smokeout. For more information to help you quit, explore alaskaquitline.com.

Join the celebration by sharing your quit story in KANA’s Tobacco Prevention and Education Program’s Great American Smokeout Story Contest. The Tobacco Prevention team is calling for brief stories submissions about your journey to quit smoking. Entries can include quitting for a day or a lifetime, and all entries will be eligible to win prizes including a frozen turkey for Thanksgiving. Entries must be submitted by 5 PM on November 15th. For contest rules, with questions, or to submit your story, please contact the KANA’s Tobacco Prevention program at 486-9865.