There are an estimated 46 million ex-smokers in the United States and tomorrow those numbers can be increased with the Great American Smoke Out.

Looking back on his smoking habit, college student Eric Krause says it really just started because "A lot of us would get together and study and have some coffee and eventually people would take cigarette breaks and it seemed like a good idea to me."

Eric realizes now that what started out as a social habit, has become much more. "It was way to break the stress, we'd go out, have a cigarette and come back in, it was a nice way to break the monotony of studying and then eventually just an addictive habit.

I became addicted to nicotine."

Since 1977, the Great American Smoke Out has challenged Americans to quit smoking and this year, Eric is going to use this day to try and put down his cigarettes for good. "The Great American Smoke Out seemed like a really good idea. I think this is the right time and the right situation for me to quit smoking."

Smokers are most successful in kicking the habit when they have some means of support, like nicotine replacement products, counseling, prescription medicine and the encouragement of loved ones. The long term benefits from quitting smoking are quite amazing.

Dr. Lowell Hart, an Oncologist at Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center explains that, "Once fifteen years has passed the risk is not quite down to if they'd never smoked at all, but 80-90% of the cancer risk is gone."

Smoking damages nearly every organ in the human body, is linked to at least 10 different cancers, and accounts for some 30% of all cancer deaths. It is never too late to quit smoking and work on rebuilding your health.

For more information on how you can get involved in the Great American Smoke Out or to learn more about quitting call 1-800-ACS-2345.