Thursday, Nov. 21, is the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout. The Mississippi State Department of Health encourages smokers to improve their health by participating.

Quitting smoking at any age improves health immediately and long-term, and it doesn’t have to be done alone.

The Smokeout is an opportunity to join thousands of others to begin a journey to a smoke-free life using proven treatments. Free help is available from the Mississippi Tobacco Quitline at 800-QUIT-NOW or www.quitnow.net/ms. The Rally Coach App can also be downloaded, or the word READY or LISTO (Spanish) can be texted to 34191.

Individualized coaching is available by phone, online, or text, 24/7. Nicotine replacement therapy is tailored to individual needs, and online support for help managing triggers is available, along with personalized quitting plans.

In Mississippi, 5,400 adults die annually from their own smoking, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. About one-third of the state’s cancer deaths are attributable to smoking, killing more than alcohol, AIDS, car crashes, illegal drugs, murders and suicides combined. Thousands more die from other related causes, such as fires and smokeless tobacco. Adults aren’t the only ones endangering their health by lighting up. Every day, almost 2,500 children under 18 try their first cigarette; more than 400 of them will become daily smokers. Roughly 3.4% of high schoolers smoke cigarettes, 15.7% use e-cigarettes and 5.2% smoke cigars.

The MSDH Office of Tobacco Control funds 34 Mississippi Tobacco-Free Coalitions (MTFCs) that cover the state’s 82 counties and implement tobacco control programs, preventing the initiation of tobacco use among youth, reducing exposure to secondhand smoke, promoting tobacco cessation services and eliminating tobacco-related disparities. Find an MTFC program in your region by contacting the Office of Tobacco Control at 601-991-6050.

Download the new MSDH Healthy App in Apple and Android stores. Stay up to date on news and updates at www.msdh.ms.gov.  and on social media: facebook.com/HealthyMS, twitter.com/msdh and Instagram.com/healthy.ms