Take part in the Great American Smokeout Nov. 17

Posted on: 11/4/22

On Thursday, Nov. 17, the Oklahoma Hospital Association’s Hospitals Helping Patients Quit (HHPQ), a grant program of TSET, is encouraging all hospitals to take part in the Great American Smokeout (GASO). This health-centric holiday is the nation’s largest anti-smoking campaign, which occurs annually on the third Thursday in November. Initiated by the American Cancer Society in the 1970s, the event challenges smokers to quit smoking for that day in hopes that it will prompt them to quit for good. OHA is encouraging hospitals and clinics to use GASO as an opportunity to talk to their patients and community members about quitting tobacco products. 

Health care providers can have a tremendous impact on their patient’s journey in quitting tobacco. Tobacco users who receive a clinical cessation consult from their health care provider are twice as likely to successfully quit vs. those who do not. Hospitals that engage their communities in events like GASO are taking a proactive role in addressing their community’s number one preventable cause of death, tobacco-related disease. During the month of November, the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline will be offering eight weeks of free nicotine replacement therapy to all tobacco users who are referred by their health care provider or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

OHA’s HHPQ team has developed a toolkit to assist your hospital with planning for a GASO event. Additionally, the OK to Quit campaign has provided this social media image  you can use to help promote this holiday on your platforms. 

If you would like additional support in planning for your GASO event or anything related to tobacco cessation, please contact OHA’s HHPQ team at [email protected], (405) 427-9537. (Meagan Carter)