This Thursday, smokers are encouraged to quit or make a plan to quit for the Great American Smokeout.

Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the US. In South Carolina, 18% of adults continue to smoke. 

Download social media tools and fact sheets to promote GASO. View tips from the CDC on quitting. Another cessation resource is the S.C. Tobacco Quitline, 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669). Learn more about the S.C. Tobacco Quitline.

SC DHEC's Division of Tobacco Prevention and Control recently released three infographics illustrating the health impact of tobacco use in South Carolina. View graphic on cancer deaths related to smoking. View graphic on annual health care costs related to smoking. View graphic on heart and lung disease deaths related to smoking.

Community Health Advisor

A great new program is available through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Community Health Advisor is an interactive website that provides information on the projected health and economic impact of public health interventions at the state and county level. Using the website, one can get information on the impact of several different smoking-related intervention policies, including clear indoor air and tobacco tax increases. The program also provides relevant resources. Check out this useful website.

You have likely heard of Black Friday - a day filled with long lines and stressed shoppers vying for a great deal on this holiday season's popular gifts. But have you heard of #GivingTuesday? The #GivingTuesday movement encourages people to take action to improve their local communities, give back to the charities and causes they support and help create a better world.

This #GivingTuesday consider supporting efforts to eliminate the toll of tobacco use in South Carolina through a donation to SCTFC. Your tax deductible donation will support efforts that protect residents from secondhand smoke and assist tobacco users that wish to quit. Make a donation online. Donations can also be mailed to SCTFC at P.O. Box 8173, Columbia, SC 29202.

From December 2-31 we will offer an annual membership with a minimum donation of $25. This is a $10 savings! Already a member? A $25 donation will extend your membership another year. Thanks for your support this #GivingTuesday!

Training available from SC Equality

The Tobacco-Free College Campus Initiative (TFCCI) Challenge is a national effort to engage colleges and universities in implementing 100% smoke- or tobacco-free campus policies. Learn more about the initiative.

Recently, the TFCCI launched a challenge to engage colleges across the country. By taking the TFCCI Challenge, campuses make a commitment to hold at least two activities by the end of their first calendar year that move the institution toward a 100% smoke- or tobacco-free policy. Learn more about the challenge.