For over 30-years, Americans have been using the Great American Smoke Out for helping them quit smoking.

According to a Centres for Disease Control (CDC) 2008 survey, an estimated 20% or about 46-million Americans smoke, with an estimated 20.8-million people having quit for just a day or more, in the preceding 12 months.

Stephen Michael, Director, Arizona Smokers' Helpline or Ashline says, Arizona residents have a valuable resource, whereby they can call and receive support to help quit smoking. Tobacco tax dollars and some help from the CDC helps fund the free helpline.

According to Michael, smokers by participating in the Great American Smoke Out Thursday, could quit as quitting with others would encourage them.

Knowing others are quitting also offers great encouragement, as people may wish to quit smoking, but are not ready, as yet. So, when a smoker calls the helpline, the first thing that occurs is an assessment of the caller's commitment to quit smoking.

This way, the quit smoking coach is able to assist the would-be quitter to determine a plan. Each caller is put under the charge of a personal quit coach, some of whom just happen to be former smokers. They also receive a 'quit kit', with information on how to get started, with the coach helping them work through the activities included in the kit.

As well, would-be quitters are also supplied with two weeks worth of nicotine patches, gum or lozenges to help them quit.

Arizona residents enrolled in the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment system will receive 12- weeks worth of an FDA approved method of quitting.

To reach the Arizona Smokers' Helpline or Ashline call 1 (800) 556-6222 or visit www. ashline. org. The phone line is available from 7:00 a. m. to 8:00 p. m. Monday through Thursday, from 7:00 a. m to 6:00 p. m. on Fridays, and from 10:00 a. m. to 4:00 p. m on Saturdays.

Those interested in Tavares' programme can contact facilitator Dixie Tavares, a cardiac rehab nurse at St. Anne's Hospital at 508-674-5600 Ext. 2392.

The Great American Smokeout sponsored by the American Cancer Society and in existence since the 1970s, is celebrated annually on a third Thursday in the month of November. The main targets of the Great Smokeout are to get smokers to quit for the day or reduce how much they smoke.