Massachusetts Fights Tobacco Addiction as Great American Smokeout Nears

I quit smoking cigarettes when my wife was expecting our first child 32 years ago. It wasn't easy. While I haven't smoked since 1992, I could become addicted again with just a taste.

I would never have imagined that kicking the habit could be so hard. It was – and still is.

It is comforting to know that I am not the only reformed smoker. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "Today, there are more former smokers than current smokers in the U.S."

The CDC says, "In 2021, about 11.5% of American adults were current smokers." The agency says, "About 55% of smokers try to quit, and 8-9% are successful."

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The American Cancer Society launched the Great American Smokeout in 1977 in California before taking it national. The idea was to "encourage smokers to quit for at least one day and to raise awareness about the harmful effects of smoking on health."

The Great American Smokeout is observed on the third Thursday of November each year. This year, it will take place on November 21.

Daniel Fitzgerald, Director of Advocacy at the American Lung Association, says, "Massachusetts is a national leader with its tobacco control policies; from being the first in the nation to eliminate the sale of all flavored tobacco products, to developing an incentive program for those trying to quit a menthol tobacco product and ensuring smokefree air for residents."

Fitzgerald says, "There are still too many Massachusetts residents who are impacted by tobacco use, like the 10.6% of adults who smoke and the 37% of high school students who use tobacco."

The American Lung Association says Massachusetts is one of the best in the nation "for policies to prevent and reduce tobacco use," with one "glaring exception: tobacco program funding." For that, the Association gives Massachusetts a grade of F.