The Great American Smokeout is Thursday, November 20. That's when the American Cancer Society and other organizations encourage smokers to kick the habit, if only for a day.Among the groups offering free quit smoking kits and other help is Clark County Indiana's Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Coaliton, which is led by Andi Hannah."Statistics show that if you can quit for one day, and then within the calendar year following that you attempt a continued quit, you're much more likely to be successful. So it's kind of showing people you can be smoke free for a day and nothing horrible happens, you can actually do it," Hannah said.Hannah says smokers who quit but relapse should not get discouraged as it generally takes between four to nine quit attempts for a smoker to give up the habit for good.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.