VERSAILLES, Ind. – Communities across the nation are recognizing Great American Smokeout (GASO) today, a national initiative to promote being tobacco free.
GASO was organized to encourage smokers to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day.
The Ripley County Health Department is hosting a GASO event at the Ripley County Courthouse annex from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m
All county residents are invited to the event.
State health officials say approximately 22 percent of Indiana adults smoke which has decreased significantly since 2011. However, Indiana’s smoking rate remains among the highest in the nation with over one million adult smokers.
“We know through survey data that about 80 percent of smokers want to quit,” said State Health Commissioner Jerome Adams, M.D., M.P.H.
“The Great American Smokeout challenge is really about taking a stand against big tobacco, nicotine addiction and the devastating health effects of tobacco use. Once you prove you can put down cigarettes and other tobacco products for an entire day, you’re already on your way to successfully quitting.”
