Great American Smokeout events help smokers kick butts

Once again, Georgia Regents University is participating in the Great American Smokeout with a series of events designed to help smokers break the habit.

About 42 million Americans continue to smoke cigarettes, and according to the American Cancer Society, tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States.

Every year, an estimated 160,000 men and women die from lung and bronchus cancers, according to a recent report from the National Cancer Institute. In Georgia alone, about 11,000 people die each year from smoking-related illness.

On Thursday, Nov. 19, from 11 a.m to 1 p.m., “Commit to Quit” stations will be set up in the lobbies of the Children’s Hospital of Georgia, the College of Dental Medicine, the Medical Office Building and the Jaguar Student Activities Center.

A community forum will also be held from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the August Richmond County Public Library, after which, oral health screenings will occur.