How did the Great American Smokeout begin and what is its purpose?

A brief history of this event starts in 1971. A Massachusetts resident asked that people give up smoking for a day and donate the money they would have spent on smoking to a local high school.  Hearing of this, a newspaper editor in Minnesota started a similar drive and began Minnesota’s D-Day or don’t smoke day.  This type of event had gained such momentum that in 1976, the California chapter of the American Cancer Society encouraged nearly one million smokers to quit for the day on November 18, 1976. With the success in California, the ACS took the event nationwide in 1977.

Today, The purpose of the event is to set aside a day to help smokers quit smoking, quit using tobacco products, for at least one day, with the hope that they will quit completely.

The Day also helps to raise awareness about the dangers of smoking and the many effective ways available to quit smoking permanently.

What are some of the devices or resources people may use to quit smoking?

There are many devices and resources available. Nicotine replacement therapy in the form of prescription and non-prescription gums, patches, and nasal sprays is one commonly used method. Another is the use of prescribed medications that have proven quite effective for the desire to smoke, and then there are the considered “alternative” methods such as in choosing which one or which combination is best for you.  Often success will require more than one method.   

I did some research on my own and was impressed with the amount and the quality of information available on the internet. I do recommend caution when searching the internet for health information, but two good sights in my opinion are the American Cancer Society’s website www.Cancer.org and the American Lung Association www.lungusa.org.

And Finally,  I feel one of the most effective resources is our friends and family because once we overcome the actual addiction to nicotine we still must manage our lifestyle habits to overcome the temptations to start again. This is where our social supports are important.

Can the damage of smoking be reversed?

Well, to that I would say that most certainly no further damage will occur.  It is never too late to stop smoking.  In fact, No matter how old you are or how long you've smoked, quitting can help you live longer and be healthier. People who stop smoking before age 50 cut their risk of dying in the next 15 years in half compared with those who keep smoking.

Here are a few more facts about that:

• 20 minutes after you quit your Blood Pressure and Heart rate begin to drop.
• After 12 hours the carbon monoxide levels in your blood drops to normal.
• 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: Your circulation can improve and your lung function increases.
• 1 to 9 months after quitting: Coughing and shortness of breath decrease
• 1 year after quitting: The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker's.
• 5 years after quitting: Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-smoker 5 to 15 years after quitting
• 10 years after quitting: The lung cancer death rate is about half that of a person who continues smoking. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix, and pancreas decrease, too.
• 15 years after quitting: The risk of coronary heart disease is the same as a non-smoker's.

What advise can you offer to our viewers?

To quit smoking is a difficult thing.  It is far easier to never start.  Our younger population must listen… Don’t even try smoking.  Not only is it illegal to smoke cigarettes underage, it is addictive and very damaging to your health.  Every breath of cigarette smoke is like sandpaper inside your lungs.  

As a respiratory therapist, part of my job is to take care of people who suffer from lung disease like COPD.   We don’t pass judgment.  I am very empathetic toward my patients because I know the difficult time they have to perform the activities of daily living that “healthier” individuals take for granted.  If I were a current smoker I would be concerned about those later years in life and whether I will be able to do the activities I want to do, or will I struggle each day, sometimes just to breathe.

It is never too late to quit. There is no such thing as “I’ve already tried and failed therefore I can’t”.  Because on the next try you might be successful.  Fact; the average successful quitter has tried to quit 7 times before finding success.  So, it is important to not give up.  If you have tried before and are still smoking, you are not “weak” or undisciplined as some might have you to believe, you are among the millions of others trying to quit.  It takes one step, then another.  So, Why not take the first step today during America’s Great Smokeout.