Thanksgiving kicks-off the holiday season this month, gifting us time for family, appreciation, and new resolutions.
For more than 40 years, The American Cancer Society has been providing an opportunity for individuals, community groups, businesses, health care providers, and others to encourage people to quit using tobacco products. On November 21st, Americans will be challenged to give up tobacco products including smoking and vaping for a full 24 hours in hopes to take the first step towards leaving the habit behind as part of The Great American Smokeout.
This annual event, created by The American Cancer Society in 1977, inspires people to use the date to make a plan to quit, or initiate a smoking/vaping cessation plan on the day of the event.[1] Despite decade’s worth of data laying out the risks of tobacco use and harmful effects, more than 16 million Americans are living with a disease caused by smoking, and 34 million Americans continue to smoke cigarettes or use tobacco.[2]
The Great American Smokeout offers an opportunity for parents and influential adults to set a good example by quitting their tobacco or vape use. Nearly 25% of Maine’s high school youth reported currently using any tobacco product in 2017, including vaping devices, while approximately 9% reported currently smoking cigarettes. The latest research shows that the frequency of tobacco use among teens is steadily increasing due to the rise of e-cigarettes, with over five million teens using electronic nicotine devices compared in 3.8 million in 2018.[3] [4]
Science tells us that parents who use tobacco products increase their child’s risk of using tobacco throughout their lifetime.[5] The American Cancer Society also presents that teens whose parents talk often with them about the dangers of tobacco and vaping use are about half as likely to smoke as those who do not have these discussions with their parents, whether or not the parents use tobacco themselves.
Check out local resources here!
BeFree – http://www.midcoasthealth.com/wellness/be-free/
Get the app to create your Quit-Kit – https://teen.smokefree.gov/become-smokefree/quitstart-app
Keep your kids tobacco free – https://www.cancer.org/healthy/stay-away-from-tobacco/keeping-your-kids-tobacco-free.html
Sources:
[1] https://www.cancer.org/healthy/stay-away-from-tobacco/great-american-smokeout/history-of-the-great-american-smokeout.html
[2] https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/health_effects/index.htm
[3] uptodate.com/contents/management-of-smoking-and-vaping-cessation-in-adolescents
[4] https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/youth-and-tobacco/youth-tobacco-use-results-national-youth-tobacco-survey
[5] https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2015.302775