Quit Smoking during the Great American Smokeout on Nov. 21

Published 11:11 am Wednesday, November 20, 2024

The Mississippi State Department of Health encourages smokers to take the first step in improving their health by participating in the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout on Thursday, Nov. 21.

Regardless of your age, quitting smoking improves health both immediately and in the long term, and you don’t have to do it alone. This is an opportunity to join thousands of others begin their journey to a smoke-free life using proven treatments.

Get free help starting your nicotine-free journey from the Mississippi Tobacco Quitline:

In Mississippi, 5,400 adults die annually from their own smoking, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. About one-third of the state’s cancer deaths are attributable to smoking, killing more than alcohol, AIDS, car crashes, illegal drugs, murders and suicides combined.

Thousands more die from other related causes, such as fires and smokeless tobacco. Adults aren’t the only ones endangering their health by lighting up. Every day, almost 2,500 children under 18 try their first cigarette; more than 400 of them will become daily smokers. Roughly 3.4% of high schoolers smoke cigarettes, 15.7% use e-cigarettes and 5.2% smoke cigars.

The MSDH Office of Tobacco Control funds 34 Mississippi Tobacco-Free Coalitions (MTFCs) that cover the state’s 82 counties and implement tobacco control programs, preventing the initiation of tobacco use among youth, reducing exposure to secondhand smoke, promoting tobacco cessation services and eliminating tobacco-related disparities. Find an MTFC program in your region by contacting the Office of Tobacco Control at 601-991-6050.