Thursday, November 21, 2013

Happy Great American Smokeout Day!

The Great American Smokeout Day is today. I know when people decide to quit smoking it’s usually a New Year’s resolution so I was surprised to learn The American Cancer Society created the Great American Smokeout Day back in 1977 and it is always the third Thursday in November.

The goal of this extraordinary day is quite obvious: to get people to give up the “butt” and quit smoking which will result in fewer health problems and fewer cancer and emphysema related deaths from smoking and secondary smoke.


Since I am not, nor have ever been, a smoker, the only thing I can compare it to is a diet.  When you diet, your drug of choice is food.  Food is everywhere.  You can’t sit down and watch TV without seeing multiple commercials advertising the latest and greatest sandwich at the local fast food restaurant.  All holidays center around food.  All celebrations center around food.  You can’t go anywhere or do anything where food is not involved to a certain degree.  Going on a diet and giving up the foods I love is my “Great American Smokeout”.  It is something I struggle with every day and probably will for the rest of my life.
 
That being said, I am not trying to say I’ve suffered physically by giving up food because I know nicotine is a real drug and I’ve been told giving up smoking is not an easy task.  Often (usually), it takes repeated efforts. That's okay, as long as you keep trying until you finally succeed. The health benefits and the prospect of a longer life are crystal clear not to mention all the money you will save. 

R. K. Avery as well as The American Cancer Society encourages everyone who smokes to join millions of other Americans today and take the first step to a happier, healthier, longer life.  Just one day at a time....  

I salute you with my 90 calorie breakfast bar that tastes like cardboard drizzled in cough medicine.  J

R. K. Avery
www.rkaverybooks.com
@RKAvery1

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