2008 Great American Smokeout

Today is the 41st annual Great American Smokeout. Starting in 1977, on the 3rd Thursday of November and every 3rd Thursday of November since then, the American Cancer Society has been trying to get smokers to stop smoking for one day. And hopefully, with help, turn it into two.

I can't believe it's been this many years I've been giving up cigarettes on this day.

This year the American Cancer Society has added a "Stay Quit Monday" followup day, hopefully to keep smokers off the evil weed.

I see a lot more smokers here in Texas than I do up in Washington. And way more butts on the ground here. But that may be partly due to the greater penchant for littering in Texas.

The Great American Smokeout came about 22 years after the U.S. Surgeon General's Report connected tobacco use to lung cancer, low birth weight and coronary disease.

I'm looking out my window right now and seeing 3 people with cigarettes dangling from their mouths with a 4th holding the cigarette while he coughs. Just a second, I need to go yell at these people that today is the Great American Smokeout.

The smoking rate of Americans has fallen constantly since the Surgeon General suggested people stop smoking. Down from 42% smoking in 1964 to only 19.8% smoking in 2007. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracks the smoking statistics.

As recently as the 1980s smoking was allowed in hospitals and on commercial airplanes. Now it's banned in most public buildings and restaurants, even here in smokey Texas.