Hamilton Diagnostics Center (HDC) is encouraging people to make a plan to quit smoking during the Great American Smokeout event on Nov. 15.

“It’s not easy to quit smoking,” said Terri Sullivan, Imaging Services manager. “This event is a great way to start the process and get the tools to make you successful in a smoke-free life.”

For more than 40 years, the American Cancer Society has hosted the Great American Smokeout on the third Thursday of November.  The event challenges people to stop smoking and helps people learn about the many tools they can use to help them quit and stay quit. Getting help through counseling and medications doubles or even triples an individual’s chances of quitting successfully.

Nearly 38 million Americans still smoke cigarettes, and smoking remains the single largest preventable cause of death and illness in the world. Smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths every year, and more than 16 million Americans live with a smoking-related disease. The American Cancer Society is available for support, from questions about quitting smoking to looking for national or local resources to help you quit. To find out more, visit cancer.org/smokeout or call 1-800-227-2345.

HDC offers a low-dose lung cancer screening to those who smoke or are former smokers. You are encouraged to ask your primary care physician if you qualify for this screening. Medicare and most commercial insurance companies now cover the cost. For those without health coverage, a cash price of $150 is available.

“Early detection saves lives,” said Sullivan. “The screening is a painless, 10-minute test that could save your life!”