The Great American Smokeout, is a day to quit smoking.
The Florida Dept. of Health says smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in our state and encourages smokers to kick the habit.
Dr. Brad Rodu, Professor of Medicine at the University of Louisville, says we have to give people alternatives to quit, which may not require them to cut out tobacco and nicotine entirely.
"New tobacco products like electronic cigarettes, smokeless tobacco products like snus, chew and dip products satisfy products without giving them a high risk for all of these diseases," said Dr. Rodu.
He says we have over 40 million smokers in the United States and it's hard to quit.
"Many of them are unable or unwilling to quit in the way that the medical establishment currently demands and that is to go completely, 100% abstinent [of tobacco], so we have to provide options that work for smokers," said Dr. Robu.
Islamiyat Nancy Adebifi with the Miami-Dade Dept. of Health suggests smokers turn to Tobacco Free Florida for tips on how to quit.
Unlike Dr. Rodu, Adebifi says the Miami-Dade Dept. of Health discourages all tobacco use.