Every year, smokers are encouraged to take part in the 24-hour celebration by not smoking. For some, that may seem impossible, but with willpower and strategies, it can be, and has been, done.

There are many reasons to quit — from money to looks to health. At $5.65 per pack, people who smoke one pack a day will save $2,062 a year, $20,623 in 10 years.

Join the Great American Smoke Out.

Teeth will be whiter and stained fingers will disappear. Quitting may reduce the risk of some cancers, heart disease and stroke. Quitters may heal faster, be sick less often and medications will work better.

During this 24-hour period the body will start to heal itself from the damage caused by smoking.

Within the first 20 minutes of one’s last cigarette, blood pressure drops, pulse rate drops and body temperature of the hands and feet will increase.

In eight hours, the carbon monoxide level in the blood drops, the oxygen level in the blood increases to normal and in 24 hours the chance of a heart attack decreases.

It will be helpful in the quitting process, even for just the day of the Great American Smoke Out, to list reasons why people would want to quit tobacco and compare it with the reasons why people want to smoke.

Write down the top five reasons to quit and repeat 10 times when waking up, before bed and during the day as urges or cravings occur.

Methods of quitting include but are not limited to: cold turkey, fading, scheduled use and tapering.

Aids in quitting include: nicotine replacement therapy, such as the gum, patch, lozenge, inhalers and nasal spray and medications such as zyban, welbutrin, chartix and clonidine. Aids can help double chances of successfully quitting smoking.

The Maine Tobacco HelpLine, a free telephonic tobacco-counseling program for Maine residents, may be accessed at 1-800-207-1230. The HelpLine is free confidential telephonic counseling by trained tobacco specialists. A quit kit and workbook packed full of helpful information and strategies are provided, and for those who qualify there is free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) available.

Those eligible for free nicotine replacement gum or patches have no insurance or no insurance benefit for nicotine replacement therapy and during the first call must set a quit date to occur within 30 days.

The HelpLine specialist makes arrangements with a local pharmacy and callers can usually pick up the NRT within 48 hours. NRT will not be given to pregnant women, individuals who have suffered a cardiac event within the last six weeks or to individuals under the age of 18.

Here are other strategies: plan alternatives (replacement behaviors) to lighting up, have the household or a buddy quit as well, remove ashtrays, make the house and car smoke-free zones, do muscle relaxation exercises, focus on rewards set for quitting, create or use a buddy system for support, lengthen meal times by eating slowly with smaller mouthfuls and engaging in conversation, go for a walk, toss a Frisbee or a ball, drink a glass of water, eat fresh fruit or veggies, chew sugarless gum or candy, engage in crafts, paint, whittle, doodle, draw, do crossword puzzles and or word finds, read, help others with chores, do jumping jacks, run in place, practice positive self-talk such as, “I can quit smoking” or "I can go without a cigarette,” chew on a toothpick, drink herbal tea, snap a rubber band around the wrist, take deep breaths, use an oral care strip to refresh the mouth or take a “mental vacation.”

Focus on the physical, psychological and social benefits of quitting.

The Healthy Living Project, a hospital, school and community partnership, is one of the 31 Healthy Maine Partnerships, funded by the tobacco settlement money. Waldo County General Hospital is the lead agency, SAD 3 is the lead school and SADs 34 and SAD 56 are participating schools.