Great American Smokeout 2009 - National put your smoke out day - San Francisco Holidays

The Great American Smokeout 2009 is a great day to quit the habit

Not long ago, smoking was allowed everywhere. Some airplanes still have the ashtrays they used to have when passengers could light up during flight. Bar patrons used to order a beer and chase it with a cigarette. JD Salinger didn't write one short story that didn't have a character smoking a cigarette and even Mad Men glorify it, but that is how it was. Society smoked.

This casual acceptance of smoking was the norm when the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout went nationwide more than 32 years ago in November 1977. That quarter century has marked dramatic changes in the way society views tobacco promotion and tobacco use; LA went smokeless a long time ago with New York on it's heels followed by Chicago. These cities went smokeless in the last ten years, but many people don't know that The Great American Smokeout was originated in Berkeley and that San Francisco was one of the first cities to go smokeless; all the way back in 1977. Thirty years later, many public places and work areas are now smoke-free.

The Great American Smokeout has helped to spotlight the dangers of tobacco use and the challenges of quitting, but more importantly, it has set the stage for the awareness in tobacco control that has occurred over this period.

Because of the efforts of individuals and groups that have led anti-tobacco efforts, there have been significant landmarks in the areas of research, policy, and the environment:

* In 1977, Berkeley, California became the first community to limit smoking in restaurants and other public places.

* In 1983, San Francisco passed the first strong workplace smoking restrictions, including bans on smoking in private workplaces.

* In 1990, the federal smoking ban on all interstate buses and domestic flights of six hours or less took effect.

* In 1994, the state of Mississippi filed the first of 24 state lawsuits seeking to recuperate millions of dollars from tobacco companies for smokers' Medicaid Bills.

* In 1999, the Department of Justice filed suit against cigarette manufacturers, charging the industry with defrauding the public by lying about the risks of smoking.

* In 1999, the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) was passed, requiring tobacco companies to pay $206 billion to 45 states by the year 2025 to cover Medicaid costs of treating smokers. The MSA agreement also closed the Tobacco Institute and ended cartoon advertising and tobacco billboards.

* In 1999, Los Angeles officially goes smoke free.

* 2003, New York City goes smoke free.

* In 2007, Chicago, IL goes smoke free.

An estimated 46 million adults in the United States currently smoke, and approximately half will die prematurely from smoking. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for men and women and more than 80% of lung cancers are thought to result from smoking. Smoking causes one in five deaths from all causes.

The American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout event grew out of a 1971 event in Randolph, MA, in which Arthur P. Mullaney asked people to give up cigarettes for a day and donate the money they would have spent on cigarettes to a high school scholarship fund. In 1974, Lynn R. Smith, editor of the Monticello Times in Minnesota, spearheaded the state's first D-Day, or Don't Smoke Day. The idea caught on, and on Nov. 18, 1976, the California Division of the American Cancer Society succeeded in getting nearly one million smokers to quit for the day. The first national Great American Smokeout was held in 1977.

During the next 25 years the Smokeout was celebrated with rallies, parades, stunts, quitting information, and even "cold turkey" menu items in schools, workplaces, Main Streets, and legislative halls throughout the US.

The Great American Smokeout has been chaired by some of America's most popular celebrities, including Sammy Davis, Jr., Edward Asner, Natalie Cole, Larry Hagman, Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, the first "spokespud" Mr. Potato Head, and many others.

The American Cancer Society fights lung cancer, informs people about the dangers of smoking, and provides the tools needed to help smokers quit. For more information about how to get involved in the Great American Smokeout call 1-800-ACS-2345. Smokers can find science-based help for quitting at the same number or online

The Great American Smokeout is an event held annually in the US to encourage those of us who smoke tobacco to smoke less or better yet quit for at least one day, with that day being the day of the Smokeout, the third Thursday in November. The whole propose of the Great American Smokeout is the hope that those who quit smoking for the day will choose to never smoke again.

The Great American Smokeout is not the first day designated as a day of smoking decrease or cessation, but it is the longest running. The American Cancer Society held the first Great American Smokeout in 1977, and it has been going strong ever since.

Not only will kicking the habit increase your life expectancy and overall health, it will also increase your bank account. If a person smokes a pack per day at $7.00 per pack. Put it into perspective this way: If you have a small child and quit now, that $7.00 a day will put $45,000 towards their college education 18 years from now...and you'll be around to see it.

For More Information:

Visit www.cancer.org.

Sources: Wikipedia, cancer.org, preventionpartners.com

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