BUCKHANNON — Mayor Robbie Skinner joined Ginny Dixon, Amanda Hayes and Dr. Joe Reed, in City Hall on Thursday, November 10, 2022, to present the Great American Smokeout proclamation, as seen below: 

The American Cancer Society sponsors the Great American Smokeout on the third Thursday of November (November 17, 2022) each year, challenging smokers to give up cigarettes for 24 hours as an effort toward reducing or quitting entirely. If you or a loved one smokes cigarettes, consider joining the movement, and take the first step toward quitting cigarettes forever!

In our state, a pack of cigarettes costs approximately $6.62 plus tax, so if you multiply that one pack a day, the monthly cost is over $200. To take that to a yearly cost, it is roughly $2,400. If you quit, you could take your family on a week-long vacation, and afford a monthly utility payment. Even if you only quit for four months, you could purchase a laptop/tablet and internet service.

E-cigarette use, or vaping, among adults and youth is an epidemic in West Virginia. Vaping use rates are rising faster in West Virginia than rates across the nation. More than 1 in 3 (35.7%) West Virginia high school students report current use of e-cigarettes. This is a 150% increase from 2017 to 2019 alone. The high school tobacco use rate is 40.6%. 

Studies show that second and third-hand smoke also poses health risks. Secondhand smoke can increase lung cancer by 20 – 30%. Smoke from the end of a cigarette has a higher concentration of cancer-causing chemicals than the smoke exhaled by a smoker. The US EPA says secondhand smoke is among the most dangerous substances known to cause cancer. Thirdhand smoke refers to the toxins from cigarette smoke that stick to soft surfaces. Thirdhand smoke not only affects adults but also babies, children, and even pets.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED that the City of Buckhannon hereby recognizes and supports the American Cancer Society’s GREAT AMERICAN SMOKEOUT on November 17, 2022, in Buckhannon, West Virginia, and encourages all citizens who smoke, use chew or dip tobacco, vape, or any other devices to ingest nicotine to demonstrate to themselves and to their children that they can quit by joining the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout.