Great American Smokeout slated

The American Cancer Society will celebrate the 31st anniversary of the Great American Smokeout on Thursday. With exactly half of the U.S. now protected by smoke-free laws, and a variety of cessation resources available, there has never been a better time to quit smoking and enjoy the health benefits, said Kirsten Bruce, health initiatives field support manager for the High Plains Division of the American Cancer Society.

On Thursday, Americans who smoke and want to quit are urged to call the American Cancer Society's Quitline, a free telephone-based counseling program, at (800) ACS- 2345, or log on to www.greatamericansmokeout. org, to embark on a personal plan to quit.

"The American Cancer Society is here to help smokers who want to quit, and we have an abundance of resources to assist," said Ms. Bruce. "We urge smokers to learn more about quitting and make a plan to begin a smoke-free life by calling the quitline.

Quitline staff have provided support to more than 280,000 smokers since 2000. Studies have shown that more than 40 percent of people who were contacted six months after completing the quitline program remained smoke-free, which puts the society's quit rates among the highest in the industry.

The Great American Smokeout at www.greatamericansmokeout.org, provides tips, tools, resources and a quitline call-back feature, which allows smokers to submit a short form to be directly contacted by a trained specialist who will provide assis- tance during a quit attempt.

According to the U.S. Surgeon General in 1990, those who quit smoking, regardless of age, live longer than people who continue to smoke, and quitting smoking substantially decreases the risk of lung, laryngeal, esophageal, oral, pancreatic, bladder and cervical cancers.

The ACS is the nationwide, community based, voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy and service.