Great American Smokeout
by Dodi Haug, Certified Prevention Specialist
At a recent event, participants were divided into groups based on the decade they attended high school. In these groups, they discussed what they remembered about prevention efforts while growing up. One participant mentioned,
“there was an event where kids went home and tried to guilt their parents into quitting smoking” — which made me laugh at their perception of the Great American Smokeout.
The
Great American Smokeout has been held annually since the 1970s. The event takes place on the
third Thursday of November each year (this year,
November 20, 2025) and encourages people to quit tobacco products. It also promotes tools and resources to help a person quit and stay quit.
Nicotine, the addictive substance in tobacco products including vape products, is one of the strongest and most dangerous addictions a person can have. This is why quitting can be so difficult. In Matthew Perry’s book
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, he shares that quitting tobacco was the hardest habit for him to break, and even after quitting, he admitted,
“there isn't a day that I don't miss the cigarettes."
Quitting isn’t easy, but it’s one of the most important steps you can take for your health. The benefits begin almost immediately:
- 20 minutes after quitting: Heart rate and blood pressure start to drop.
- 2 weeks after quitting: Circulation improves, and lung function increases.
- 1 year after quitting: Risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack decreases.
- 10 years after quitting: Risk of dying from lung cancer is 50% lower than that of a current smoker.
Each step you take toward quitting makes a real difference — for your health, your family, and your future.
You don’t have to quit alone. Support greatly increases your chances of quitting successfully. Several free resources are available:
South Dakota QuitLine Services offers three options:
- Enhanced Support with Phone Coaching: Weekly coaching calls for up to 8 weeks, up to 8 weeks of free cessation medication, and a step-by-step Quit Guide with additional tips.
- Hybrid Coaching: Eight weeks of personalized text support with limited phone calls, free nicotine replacement therapy (gum, patches, or lozenges), and the Quit Guide.
- Kickstart Kit: Try quitting with medication without a coach. Receive 2–4 weeks of free NRT (gum, patches, or lozenges) and a Quit Guide to start on your own schedule.
The
Quit Guide helps you identify your reasons for quitting, understand your addiction, find relaxation techniques, cope with cravings, set a quit date, and track your progress.
For South Dakota resources:
- Call: 1-866-SD-QUITS (1-866-737-8487)
Other national resources include:
- 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669): Free counseling, quit plans, and nicotine replacement support.
- SmokefreeTXT: Text “QUIT” to 47848 for daily motivation and tips.
- Smokefree.gov: Tools, apps, and expert advice for quitting tobacco and vaping.
- QuitSTART App: Free app to track your progress and manage cravings.
If you’re not ready to quit yet, that’s okay. The Great American Smokeout is also about
starting your journey. You can:
- Make a quit plan.
- Learn about triggers and coping skills.
- Talk to someone who has quit successfully.
- Set a future quit date.
You can also support others on their quit journey:
- Be encouraging and supportive.
- Listen to their challenges without lecturing.
- Celebrate milestones, even small ones.
- Avoid smoking or vaping around them.
Learn more at
www.cancer.org/smokeout. If you would like more information on local resources, or would like a free Quit Kit from the Human Service Agency, reach out to us at
neprc@humanserviceagency.org.