Great American Smokeout

In 1977 The American Cancer Society held it's first American Smoke Out, to encourage Americans to quit smoking for one day. It evolved from a series of events beginning in in 1971 Randolph, MA when Arthur Mullaney urged people to give up cigarettes for one day and donate the money to a local highschool. In 1974 a "Don't Smoke Day" was promoted in Minnesota. In 1976 on November 18th The California chapter of the American Cancer Society was able to get almost 1 million people to quit for a day.