This Thursday, on the 20th of November, the American Cancer Society has set the Great American Smokeout day; a day that encourages people to abstain for at least for 24 hours.
Unfortunately, almost 480,000 people die because of smoking related medical issues every year, in the United States. Another 8 million are forced to live with diseases caused by this unhealthy habit.
However, although there are many people who would like to quit, only a percentage between 4 and 7 percent actually succeed, mainly because they try doing it alone.
The Great American Smokeout day comes in the aid of these people, advising them to stop smoking for a day or at least start a plan for quitting.
Studies have shown that smoking is a habit that mainly affects people with average education, concluding that 1 out of 4 people with no more than a high school diploma is likely to be a smoker.
Smoking is not only bad for the users, but also for the people around. The term used to describe this occurrence is “secondhand-smoke” and it refers to people that get in contact with the smoke from cigarettes or other tobacco products and can still get affected by it.
It is never too late to quit cigarettes and it can be done at any age and the health risks that come with tobacco use are substantially lowered.
Some of the methods that experts have proved to be successful are counseling, the prescription pills Varenicline and Bupropion SR or Nicotine-replacement therapies, in the form of patches, gums, sprays or inhalers.
Smoking is an addiction and some studies suggest that it’s even stronger than heroin addiction. The American Cancer Society understands that it takes huge amounts of effort for a person to stop smoking, that’s why they come in the aid for smokers since 1976, when they first started celebrating the Great American Smokeout day.
This day tries to make people understand that even though quitting is very hard, it can be possible.
Many smokers are so afraid of relapse that they give up the idea of quitting even before actually trying. Although relapsing can be just as scary as quitting, no one says that you are allowed to quit only once. Some people actually quit many times before they can finally put a stop to cigarettes.
For more information regarding quitting and for free assistance, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visit www.BeTobaccoFree.gov .