(KNSI) – The annual Great American Smokeout is taking place on Thursday, November 18th.
It’s a day the American Cancer Society sponsors to encourage people to put down tobacco products like cigarettes. The first smoke out in Minnesota was in Monticello in 1974, and three years later, the Great American Smokeout was born.
Lead tobacco clinician at the St. Cloud VA Leah Twigg-Smith says smoking “harms nearly every bodily organ and organ system in the body. And it diminishes overall health.” She says the trick to getting people to quit smoking is to help people find a motivation to quit.
“Though ideally we really want people to identify what’s important to them so that they quit for a reason that’s personal to them because that’s the reason that’s going to keep them motivated.”
She says there’s been a 42% decrease in smoking across the nation in recent years. For tips on how to quit, click here.
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