Great American Smokeout
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The Great American Smokeout is a social engineering experiment on the third Thursday of November[1] in the United States encouraging Americans (of whom 45.8 million smoke) to stop tobacco smoking. The American Cancer Society held its first Smokeout in San Francisco's Union Square Nov.16th 1977. It was deemed "fantastically Successful" and merited national press coverage by all three networks and the Today Show. The event challenges people to stop smoking cigarettes for 24 hours, hoping their decision not to smoke will last forever.
The event evolved from a series of events:[2]
- In 1970, in Randolph, Massachusetts, Arthur P. Mullaney suggested people give up cigarettes for a day and donate the money to a local high school.
- In 1974, a "Don't Smoke Day" (or "D-Day") was promoted by Lynn R. Smith of the Monticello Times in Monticello, Minnesota.
- On November 18, 1976, the California Division of the American Cancer Society successfully prompted nearly one million smokers to quit for the day. That California event marked the first Smokeout.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "The Great American Challenge: All About the Great American Smokeout". American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/subsite/greatamericans/content/All_About_Smokeout.asp. Retrieved 2009-07-21.[dead link]
- ^ "The Great American Challenge: History of the Great American Smokeout". American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/subsite/greatamericans/content/History_of_Smokeout.asp. Retrieved 2009-07-21.[dead link]
