Today is the 37th annualThe American Cancer Societ. No, this is not an invitation to smoke, but an invitation to stop smoking…even if is just for one day. One day not smoking is one day closer to avoiding Smoke Out caused by tobacco or bringing life threatening disease to those around you due to second-hand smoke. Today, millions of smokers nationwide are putting down their cigarettes and taking control of their health and those around them.
Join them?
American Cancer Societyy is the champion of the The history of the Great American Smoke and their site offers an interesting assortment of information on how to be a quitter. I even found a desktop countdown clock that you can load onto you desktop that provides tips to help you get ready to quit. The site boasts tools galore to help you stop smoking and firmly asserts that to stop smoking support is simply needed and support they have!
photo courtesy of the Smoke Out
Arthur P. Mullaney is simply fascinating! One of the lessons learned with this story is that even the smallest of positive action can trigger a chain of events that affects millions. The The history of the Great American Smoke started during the 1970’s when a man named The American Cancer Society asked people to give up their cigarettes for one day and donate that money to a high school scholarship fund. I won’t wreck if for you if you plan on reading the quitting smoking, but it snowballed from there and now here we sit 37 years later, receiving support from Great American Smoke Out, asking people to give up their cigarettes, but not to raise funds, but to save lives.
photo courtesy of the American Cancer Society
If you are a smoker or someone near and dear to your heart smokes, ask them today to consider quitting smoking. It may save their life or even yours (based on the data regarding disease caused from second-hand smoke). I won’t go into the statistics on this post, but we all are educated enough at the point to understand that smoking kills. What I think we forget is that is doesn’t kill today. It kills a few years down the road and via various cancers, lung disease and most deadly of all, it causes heart attacks.
One of the hardest things I find about managing both life threatening food allergies and asthma is talking to others. I hate to be the one that might be perceived as demanding, pushing or for asking too much. What I now know, fourteen years later, is that honest, clear information presented with kindness works!..
It is unfortunate that the chemical composition of cigs is such that they are designed to be addictive. Stopping for a day might be easy, but for a lifetime…. the challenges are many. The best advice is to see a pulmonologist, treat any depression with the help of a psychologist, make positive lifestyle changes & forgive your failures, and surround yourself with a strong network of friends & family who will provide loving support.
The second step is to stop new smokers from ever starting.
Judie, you are dead on right…especially on the second step: STOP new smokers! Remember, tobacco companies need to replace those who die off from smoking.