[1] Approximately 40 million American adults still smoke, and tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the country.
The first Great American Smokeout was held in San Francisco's Union Square on November 16, 1977.
[2] The event evolved from a series of smaller-scale initiatives.
In 1970, in Randolph, Massachusetts, Arthur P. Mullaney suggested people give up cigarettes for a day and donate the money to a local high school.
[1] On November 18, 1976, the California Division of the American Cancer Society successfully prompted nearly one million smokers to quit for the day.