The third Thursday in November is the day smokers—and vapers—can start a journey toward a healthy, smoke-free life. It’s the “Great American Smokeout,” organized by the American Cancer Society.
If you are a smoker, you’ve heard this before: smoking can cause lung cancer, but it also causes cancers of the esophagus, larynx, mouth, throat, kidney, bladder, liver, pancreas, stomach, cervix, colon, rectum as well as acute myeloid leukemia. That doesn’t even include some of the other diseases caused by smoking such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
If you are a long-time smoker, you either don’t want to quit or you’ve tried (and tried and tried) to quit and couldn’t. Quitting smoking isn’t easy, for all sorts of reasons. You need determination and a plan and support. So smokers, circle Thursday, November 18, on your calendar and join thousands of people across the country in taking an important step toward a healthier life and reducing your cancer risk.
Check out the CDC’s infographic, and if you have questions about smoking cessation, contact your Work Stride oncology nurse navigator, at 844-446-6229 or by email, at managecancer@jh.edu
