Great American Smokeout - 25th Anniversary of the Great American Smokeout

Helping Smokers Quit

Twenty-five years ago, the American Cancer Society started the Great American Smokeout as an annual day to spotlight the dangers of smoking and challenge people to stop using tobacco. On this anniversary milestone, the Society renews its pledge to conquer lung cancer, help smokers make the important decision to quit, and support them in their efforts.

The idea for the Great American Smokeout grew out of a 1971 event, when Massachusetts resident Arthur P. Mullaney asked people to give up smoking for a day and donate the money they would have spent on cigarettes to a local high school. Then, 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 November 18, 1976, the California Division of the American Cancer Society successfully prompted nearly one million smokers to quit for the day. That California event marked the first Smokeout, and the Society took it nationwide in 1977.

Today, an estimated 47 million US adults smoke. Tobacco use can cause lung cancer, as well as other cancers, heart disease, and respiratory disease; and each year smoking is responsible for one of five deaths. Fortunately, the past 25 years have seen tremendous strides in reversing attitudes towards smoking, understanding the addiction, and learning how to help people quit.

If you’re ready to quit, you should know you’re not alone. The American Cancer Society provides a variety of progressive, science-based resources that can double your chances of quitting successfully.

Find more information visit our sites about quitting smoking, improving your health or getting involved in the Great American Smokeout. Or just call your American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345.

American Cancer Association