For over 3 decades, the third Thursday in November has been designated nationwide as the Great American Smoke Out Day, a day dedicated to helping people quit smoking, and a day which has helped many addicted smokers give up on their daily light-up habit. The event has been around since the 1970s and is sponsored by the American Cancer Society.

The goal on the Smoke Out Day is to get smokers to quit for one whole day, or at least cut down for their smoking substantially. People are challenged to stop using tobacco and they are made aware of all the tools available to help them quit once and for all. The Partnership for a Smoke-Free Community brought in its innovative bookmarks which detailed hospitals and community centers ready to help smokers kick the habit.

According to a survey outlining the success of the Smoke Out Day, about 20% of Americans admitted to smoking in 2008, which amounts to nearly 46 million people. After quitting for one day, and thereby finding motivation to kick the habit all together, about 20.8 million smokers gave up the habit within 12 months.

The Great Smoke Out Day is also a day when former heavy smokers share their stories and encourage people to quit.