As a nation, the U-S has an average smoking rate of 10-point-8 percent. North Dakota is higher on the scale with 13-point-4-percent of the population using tobacco products. As reporter Todd McDonald tells us, there are efforts underway to change that number for the state…
Officials with Fargo-Cass Public Health are hoping to see a reduction in that number as we mark this year's Great American Smokeout.
Abby Lange is a community health educator —
"The Great American Smokeout started actually at a little town in Massachusetts in 1970. What they did, this is really kind of before it became big, but what they did is they had a booth kind of saying if you quit smoking for a day and instead of the money that you spend on smoking in one day donate that money to our high school scholarship fund and it kind of took off from there."
Lange says while the official smokeout is Thursday, Fargo-Cass Public Health is upping the ante by holding a two-day event. She's hoping to raise the profile the day and gain additional support for those going through the quitting process.
"The goal of it is is everyone kind of quit smoking together. If we do it all together, think of the support that you'll have around the country, around the world. So the American Cancer Society has a place online that you can go and sign up to say that you're celebrating it and they have you know online peer support and some of those things so you're not feeling like you're alone."
The health unit will also be doing so-called turn-in events at the public health offices and West Acres. Lange says the events allow users to hand over their tobacco products in a gesture to say I'm finished.
"...To really signify of like the end of like a breakup is really kind of how I envision it is that you are done having this product be this control in your life and done with this product being such a big piece of your life that you most likely don't enjoy.
So break up with them, give them to us, we'll dispose of them properly, kind of giving that physical action to show that you're serious about this being a change in your life and a change for you in your future."
Officials say around 1,000 North Dakotans die from commercial tobacco use each year, with others suffering from respiratory disease and other physical illnesses caused by smoking.
For Prairie Public, I'm Todd McDonald.