Quit Smoking for the Smokeout and Forever

Ashley Barker | Opinion Editor

I hold my breath when I walk past people who are smoking, and I like to imagine that my lungs are smiling because they do not have icky, black tar encrusting their vital respiratory parts. That’s just me, though. If you prefer to actually inhale the very chemicals that I go out of my way to walk around, then you may want to pick a different story to read.

It’s been made quite clear over the past several years—we’ll even go with decades—that smoking cigarettes is bad for your health, my health, your potential offspring’s health and the environment. What will it actually take for you estimated 46 million Americans to give up the habit and let the rest of us breathe some fresh air for a change?

Bombarding you with facts from the American Cancer Society, like lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death and more than 80 percent of lung cancers are thought to result from smoking, is obviously not going to help you quit.

Cigarette boxes displaying gruesome pictures of the effects of smoking probably isn’t going to stop you from spending your pay check on the ridiculously expensive cartons, either.

I don’t have the magical answer. I’m pretty sure no one does. Apparently all of the gums, patches, acupuncture and hypnosis sessions don’t work for everyone. If you’re a smoker and are still reading this far, though, you evidently have some curiosity, in my opinion. So, maybe you should just agree with me on this one thing and give Thursday a try.

Thursday, Nov. 18 is the 35th annual American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout. It’s a national event designed “to encourage smokers to set aside their smoking habit for at least 24 hours.”

Take a break from smoking. Grab a few brochures from the Crossroads office about quitting, and stand up to the addiction. You’ll be in good company, and when people walk past you they won’t hold their breath.