Michigan encourages smokers throughout the United States to quit with the American Cancer Society‘s 40th Great American Smokeout. More than 8,000 kids in Michigan become smokers every year, which has caused the state’s smoking rate to escalate to an astounding 21%.
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids Says 213,000 Children Alive in Michigan Today Will Die Prematurely From Smoking, Great American Smokeout Can Help
The smoking trend is timeless, and with the introduction of things like smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes, which hold health risks that have not yet been examined, smoking is becoming more accessible and more socially acceptable, especially in kids between the ages of 16-21. Smoking has been tied to deaths by heart attacks, stroke, and lung cancer, and it can cause an infinite number of mental and physical health issues.
Michigan hopes to push the statistics down by promoting the Great American Smokeout. Citizens of the state also hope Michigan will raise its cigarette tax. They’re hoping to develop an effective, well-funded program that can help the state quit smoking and keep smoking rates low. If cigarette prices go up, people will be less likely to want to smoke or maintain a smoking habit, and this could lead to a decrease in smoking rate and would help keep kids away from hospitals.
The Great American Smokeout could offer current smokers an opportunity to perhaps consider quitting, if not trying it.
Celebrate the Great American Smokeout And Try Quitting
The American Cancer Society believes even quitting for one day is an important step, so they encourage everyone to take the third Thursday of November, which this year falls on November 19. Smokers from all around the world are encouraged to try to quit, even for just for the day, and think about the future of their health.
