The Great American Smokeout- November 17th 2017

[Dr_Hays]

It’s that time of the year, the third Thursday of November is known as the Great American Smokeout.  In 1977, the American Cancer Society launched this event to encourage smokers to quit for 24 hours. This event has helped people to learn about the many tools that they can use to help them quit and stay quit.  For some of you this may be your quit date, and for others it may just be a day on the calendar, either way we are glad you stopped by the blog to see what the Ex community has to offer. 

I am curious; it has now been 40 years since they launched the event, what are your thoughts on the Great American Smokeout?

For more information visit the Center for Disease Control: Get Ready...Set...Quit! Great American Smokeout | Features | CDC 

[YoungAtHeart]

Personally, I HATED the day and the idea of it when I was a smoker.  It was in the same "Ignore" category as people who nagged me to quit.  You can't MAKE a person quit.  They must come to it for their own reasons in their own time. 

I thought of it as another uninformed gimmick by those who never smoked and thought you could actually just give it up for a day - just like that.

I think it discouraged more people than helped  - and proved to a lot of people that it was just too hard to do.  You have to educate, prepare, plan and commit to quitting.  This day treats it like it is just a bad habit - which will all know it is not.

[MarilynH]

I agree with you 100 % Nancy, nagging didn't do a thing for me when people were bugging me to quit I believe I smoked even more at those times and the big smokeout day meant nothing to me while I was still smoking. 

[elvan]

I agree wholeheartedly with YoungAtHeart‌.  When I was smoking, I HATED that day although I really don't think anyone pressured me, I just hated that it might give them permission in some way.  I WANTED to quit and I had many failed quits...perhaps if there was some buildup to the Smokeout...something filled with education and support...like EX...it might be more successful.  I don't know anyone who quit on that date.  It might have been more aptly named, "The Great American Guilt Trip."  

[JonesCarpeDiem]

I Ignored It.

[Dr_Hays]

I agree.  The messaging for the Great American Smoke Out should be one of support and understanding.  Shaming and the like is just wrong, and it doesn't help.  It would probably be good to include 'nagging doesn't help' in the messaging.  

I also agree with you Dale.  If it's not helpful, ignore it. 

But, that said, 'Different strokes for different folks'.  Research into the GASO finds that it does increase the number of people who reach out for support to stop, and increases the proportion of people who do stop, compared with other days/weeks during the year.  

[JonesCarpeDiem]

If someone isn't even considering quitting, this event will be just another day smoking.

For someone who is considering quitting, not smoking a whole day could be the start of something big.

I'm not saying it's bad just how I reacted to it.

[JonesCarpeDiem]

Because I wasn't ready or considering.  🙂

[kristen-9-7-15]

Never heard of it until i came to this site  

[TurboRose]

I never felt good about myself or my chances to quit with the GASO.  I knew nothing about nicotine and the addiction. I thought my inability to put down smoking for one day was an indicator of my character (I was weak and stupid. That's the message I heard about people who smoked.) I believed myself to be a failure. I agree with some of the earlier comments. I believe it's important for people to learn about nicotine addiction. Maybe the ads for the GASO could include tidbits about nicotine addiction and its affects on smokers.  I think they might be surprised to learn some of things I learned.  

[ranjitthewolf]

During our smoking days non smokers urging us to quit were like vegans urging us to leave meat. IT AINT HAPPENING.

[ranjitthewolf]

Bree19‌ veral waneer suid afrikaaners vleis eet. LOL.

[Bree19]

Presies.  Moenie ons vleis wegvat nie.  Verbeel jou!

[TurboRose]

ranjitthewolf I guess I'm missing the joke. How do South Africans eat meat?

[Giulia]

Come on, doc.   "Research into the GASO finds that it does increase the number of people who reach out for support to stop"  Of course it increases the number of people who reach out.  People know they need to quit.  This is their yearly reminder.  Duh.  They're the ones who show up on this website for 24 hours and then split the scene after they haven't made it through one day smoke free.  It "increases the proportion who stop, compared with other days/weeks during the year."   All that means is that it increases the proportion of people who quit on this particular day than any other day of the year.  But so what?  20 more people quit on the GASO day then on the week before, day after....  New Year's and Lent probably also increase the proportion of people who quit.  How does the GASO day compare with those.  And for how long do they stop?  For THAT DAY only?  Or for months?  Or permanently?  What are the stats on that?  It's statistical gobbledygook to my mind to keep the grant seekers happy and the government happy to give the money to the grant seekers.  It's meaningless to the ultimate purpose which is -  permanent abstinence.  

I agree with Dale's:  "For someone who is considering quitting, not smoking a whole day could be the start of something big."  But the reality of the GASO is that it probably produces a lot less long-term quitters than this site does, for example, and just serves to make people feel lousy and smoke more.  If you've listened to the majority of responders  on here (and you can add my negatives about the event into the mix), it's a potentially great jump start for someone who's thought about quitting for years, but ultimately it doesn't produce the desired results of it's intention.  It's a fly-by for those short-lived grand intentions people have - but to me its just like that New Year's resolution that has no educational gravitas behind it.  And because of that, relapse is imminent. 

"it has now been 40 years since they launched the event"  Personally I would say the money could be better spend elsewhere.  MOO

[c2q]

I hated the Great American Smokeout as a smoker too. And that's  the reason I support it now. I said the same thing last year  Great American Smokeout is Today. Does it help? Study says yes.  

During one GASO, when I still smoked, I launched into quite a tirade against it at a dinner party. A man I greatly admired very calmly told me that his quit, many years strong, had begun during a GASO.  I was only slightly subdued. But his words planted a seed in my mind. Not every smoke-addled brain was just like mine. If he could find a way to quit, maybe some day I could too. I filed this thought under "fat chance" in the back of my brain along with things like "fly to mars" and "win pulitzer." My anger mellowed into indifference, and I carried on smoking.

I get it now. My anger against the GASO, was a mask I used to protect myself from facing the fact that I was addicted to nicotine.  My indifference was just a more expensive mask, because wearing it, I also had to pay the toll of all those buried negative emotions.

In some small, real way, GASO began my belief that I could be smoke-free.

It's very likely that you feel differently. But this a truth of my quit. And the more I share, the quitter I am. 

[ranjitthewolf]

Stock image of a south african eating meat. 

[Sandy-9-17-17]

Just wondering if I am confused a little, but the 17th is on a Friday, and you stated that it's the 3rd Thursday, which is the 16th??

Which day is it actually? 

[elvan]

According to Google, it is the third Thursday which would make it the 16th.  It has fallen on the 17th different years since it is not a set date, just a set DAY.

[indingrl]

Thanks for being curious... its a tool and whatever works as long as nicotine is NOT being used.... its a good choice tool.