Quit for a day, quit for a lifetime
Comet staff report

It's amazing how quickly the body can begin to heal from smoking. • Within the first 20 minutes of quitting, former smokers will experience a drop in blood pressure, improved circulation to hands and feet, and a decrease in heart rate. • Within eight hours, carbon monoxide and oxygen levels in the blood balance to normal. • Within 24 hours, the chance of heart attack falls.

The American Cancer Society is urging millions of smokers across the country to give up their cigarettes for a day and perhaps a lifetime for the 31st American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout® on Nov. 15.

Great American Smokeout is an awareness day annually held on the third Thursday of November when the American Cancer Society encourages people to stop using tobacco products and explore strategies for cessation. The Society has science based resources that can double a smoker's chances of quitting for good, including 24-hour telephone access to support and information at 1-800-ACS-2345, local community-based resources, trained tobacco cessation specialists and more.