The Great American Smokeout

Nov 17, 2017

The Great American Smokeout encourages people who use tobacco to make a plan to quit and promotes resources that will support their decision.

“The Great American Smokeout is a great opportunity for someone who is contemplating quitting smoking to commit to a date,” said Tim Bjordal, Chair of the American Cancer Society South Dakota State Leadership Board. “It’s a big, meaningful step. Most people who quit can name the exact date they used tobacco for the last time.” Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals and compounds, added Bjordal, including hundreds that are toxic and at least 69 that cause cancer. “Smoking is responsible for nearly one in three cancer deaths,” he said. “Smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes are just as dangerous.”

According to Dr. Paul Amundson, member of the American Heart Association’s Advocacy Committee and Sioux Falls Board of Health, tobacco use is also a leading cause of heart disease and respiratory illness. “We have long known the dangers of tobacco use and secondhand smoke,” said Amundson. “Since the Surgeon General’s report on the connection between smoking and disease more than 50 years ago, there have been countless studies affirming the dangers of tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke.”

Research shows that people who use tobacco are most successful in kicking the habit when they have some means of support, both from other people and from the environment. The Great American Smokeout is an opportunity for individuals to connect with resources that can help them quit for a day, and then quit for good. Smoking cessation support includes nicotine replacement products, counseling, stop-smoking support groups, telephone smoking cessation hotlines, prescription medicine to lessen cravings, guidebooks, and encouragement and support from friends and family members. Using two or more of these measures together works better than using any one of them alone.

The South Dakota QuitLine, recognized as one of the most successful cessation hotlines in the country, can be accessed at no charge by calling 1-866-SD-QUITS (1-866-737-8487) or visiting www.sdquitline.com. Other helpful websites include: www.befreesd.com, www.cancer.org and www.heart.org.

Quit Kits are available as part of the Great American Smokeout. Individuals interested in obtaining a Quit Kit can call the Sioux Empire Tobacco-Free Coalition (SET-Free Coalition) at (605) 371-1000.