“Every year, on the third Thursday of November, smokers across the nation take part in the American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout event.” This year on November 21, encourage others “to make a plan to quit, or plan in advance and then quit smoking that day.” “By quitting – even for 1 day – smokers will be taking an important step toward a healthier life and reducing their cancer risk.”
Tobacco use is an important public health battle in Georgia. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Truth Initiative, in 2022, 12.5% of Georgians aged 18 and older smoked cigarettes. Another 7.7% of adults used e-cigarettes and 3.3% used smokeless tobacco. Smoking-related direct healthcare costs in Georgia total $6.69 billion per year, and $10 billion per year is lost in productivity. In 2021, 18.8% of Georgia high school youth reported currently using any tobacco product, including e-cigarettes. Tobacco use is the number one preventable cause of death in Georgia, but, unfortunately, 11,700 people die from smoke-related illnesses every year.
Not only is tobacco a problem for adults, but our youth are using tobacco products, too. Recent data shows that tobacco use is increasing among Georgia teens and young adults, putting even more lives at risk for cancer. According to statewide results in 2022 from the Georgia Student Health Survey Dashboard, 7,593 (3.86%) high school students in Georgia reported smoking cigarettes in the past 30 days, and 10,774 (5.48%) reported using other tobacco products in the past 30 days. Additionally, the rise in popularity of e-cigarettes has made matters worse for our youth. 18,515 (9.42%) high school students in Georgia reported smoking an electronic vapor product in the past 30 days.
What most people don’t know is your health can improve within minutes of quitting. Twelve hours after you quit, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal. Two weeks to three months after quitting, heart attack risk begins to drop and lung function begins to improve. Within nine months of quitting, you will cough less and breathe easier. After one year of being tobacco free, your risk of coronary heart disease is cut in half. Within five years of quitting, your risk of mouth, throat and bladder cancer is cut in half. Ten years of being tobacco free means your risk of dying from lung cancer drops in half.
On Thursday, November 21, let’s celebrate the Great American Smokeout by encouraging someone you know to make a plan to quit or by making a plan for yourself. Keep in mind that although the Smokeout is a big day, any day is good for starting a healthier, happier life! To help you or a loved one get started, please call the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line (GTQL) at 1-877-270-STOP (1-877-270-7867) for English or 1-877-2NO-FUME (1-877-266-3863) for Spanish. The Quit Line is a FREE evidence-based public health service available to help Georgians quit smoking, vaping and using all forms of tobacco products.