Chart data compiled from The Health Consequences of Smoking: 50 Years of Progress. A Report of the Surgeon General; and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office of Smoking and Health; 2014.

As Thanksgiving approaches, Dr. Jennifer McClure reflects on why we shouldn’t forget another important day this month, the Great American Smokeout

by Jennifer B. McClure, PhD, Director of Research, Faculty, & Development and Senior Investigator, Group Health Research Institute

For most of us, November 19^th is significant because it is the Thursday before Thanksgiving. It’s a reminder that we only have one week left to purchase the perfect turkey, select our final menu, and make crucial adjustments to a seating chart that could avert a major family blow up.

But November 19^th is important for another reason—it is the annual Great American Smokeout (GAS). The GAS is the one day each year that all Americans are encouraged to stop using tobacco, even for just 24 hours. Of course, the hope is that people will quit for more than a single day, but everyone has to start somewhere.

Why is quitting tobacco important? Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of premature death and illness in the U.S. It kills more than 480,000 people a year. Compare that with many of the other leading causes of death (see chart) and you can see how significant this is to our society. Even breast cancer, which may receive more attention and research dollars than just about any other disease, is only estimated to affect 60,290 people in 2015 according to the American Cancer Society, and most of these people will thankfully survive this horrible diagnosis.

In short, while tobacco use may no longer be considered sexy and many of us can go days or weeks without breathing secondhand smoke thanks to indoor smoking bans, tobacco use continues to be a real threat to our society. That’s why Group Health Research Institute’s behavior-change researchers continue to explore new and better ways to help people stop using tobacco. That’s also why the GAS matters.

If you are one of the 42 million Americans who smokes, November 19^th is a good day to “practice” quitting. If you can succeed for a day, you can succeed for a lifetime—millions of Americans have proven this to be true.

Want help quitting?

• If you are a member of Group Health, you may be eligible for comprehensive counseling and stop-smoking medication. To learn more call 1-800-462-5327.
• If you are not a member of Group Health and want to quit smoking, call 1-800-Quit-Now for access to services in your area.

If you are not a smoker, you can still celebrate GAS. Share this article with someone you care about who smokes and gently encourage them to consider quitting, even for just a day. And on November 19^th, wish all those you know to have a Great American Smokeout day!