NEWBERRY — The 46th annual Great American Smokeout sponsored by the American Cancer Society will be observed Nov. 17.
The Great American Smokeout is a day when tobacco users are encouraged to quit. Tobacco users don’t have to face quitting alone.
The S.C. Tobacco Quitline (1-800-QUIT-NOW — 1-800-784-8669) offers free one-on-one professional coaching via telephone to South Carolina residents, and free nicotine replacement therapy is available to eligible callers.
The Great American Smokeout is also a great time to take action to prevent youth from starting to use tobacco.
In South Carolina, 73.5 percent of adult smokers started before the age of 18 and 2,800 kids become daily smokers each year (Source: 2014-2015 SC Adult Tobacco Survey and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids). Many measures have been proven to reduce youth tobacco use.
To protect our youth, South Carolina should:
• Significantly increase the price of cigarettes and other tobacco products;
• Create more smoke-free and tobacco-free environments like workplaces, schools, colleges, and parks and beaches;
• Raise the legal purchase age to buy tobacco products to 21; and
• Increase funding for tobacco control and prevention programs from the current level of 5 percent of the CDC-recommended amount