Take Part In The Great American Smoke Out

The American Cancer Society is holding their annual Great American Smoke Out today. Nearly 45 million Americans smoke and today they are encouraged to give up the habit for at least 24 hours.

It worked for me! It's been 21 years since I smoked. I used to smoke a pack to a pack-and-a-half a day back when a pack of cigarettes was under $2. I don't know how I could afford it if I still smoked. 21 years ago it was a Great American Smoke Out and my partner at the time, Greg Evans, encouraged me to do it for the show. I made it through that day and then the next morning I lit up and felt incredibly guilty.

I went to work and told Greg and he said, "Quit again." So I did. At noon that day I had my last cigarette and haven't smoked since. It wasn't easy. It was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. My secret was to chew sugarless gum and suck on tootsie pops. I also saved all the money I would have spent on cigarettes and treated myself to something at the end of every week.

If you smoke, you have to be ready. You have to want to quit. But if you do, good luck. Try it for today and it might be the time you quit for good.