Great American Smokeout Inspires Lawyers to Share Stories, Encourage Others to Quit
Image from Shutterstock.
Continuing a tradition that began in the 1970s, the American Cancer Society is promoting the Great American Smokeout on Thursday, in an effort to raise public awareness about the health dangers of cigarettes and encourage those who smoke to give up the habit, for at least this one day.
Among those inspired by the occasion to try to help others quit was Tennessee Attorney General Robert E. “Bob” Cooper Jr. He urged smokers in a press release to take the pledge to give up cigarettes for the day and joined with the state health department and its local counterpart in metropolitan Nashville to establish “Kick the Habit” stations in the Nashville area, reports the Mountain Press. The stations will offer smokers “quit packs” of cessation goodies, and, for those willing to turn over their pack and take the one-day pledge, an additional prize.
“We are pleased to take part in this important event designed to help save lives,” the AG said. “We hope Tennesseans will take this opportunity to either stop smoking or help others quit the dangerous habit.”
The Legal Examiner provides a history of smoking-related laws and litigation, in honor of the day, and Vari & Associates points out in a blog post that smoking may also adversely impact a parent’s child-custody rights.
Meanwhile, amidst numerous tips about methods smokers might want to use to kick the habit, one lawyer says an illness that kept him from smoking for a week worked for him.
“When I recovered, my wife informed me I had already quit. While not my intention, I went seven days without smokes and didn’t even have any in my possession. She challenged me to keep going,” writes Florida attorney Jeff Briscoe in a Yahoo! News first-person account. “Though weight gain followed, I was successful. Seven years later, I have never smoked again.”
His comment is also included in The Lookout blog of Yahoo! News, which offers additional thoughts from others who no longer smoke.
