BUCKHANNON – Upshur County residents who quit smoking cold turkey could win a Thanksgiving turkey of their own.

The Upshur County Tobacco Prevention Coalition is encouraging smokers to try quitting November 17 as a part of the Great American Smokeout, said UCTPC vice chair Lori Ulderich Harvey.

“We’re going to have a turkey cutout near the Lurch bench beside C.J. Maggie’s and Chase Bank, and we’re asking anyone who smokes or uses tobacco to quit, whether it’s forever on November 17 or just for that day,” Harvey said.

Once the cardboard turkey is erected, people attempting to quit smoking can enter the coalition’s drawing to win a turkey from Walmart by taking a photo or selfie with the turkey and posting it on the Tobacco Prevention Coalition’s Facebook page with the hashtag, #upshurquitcoldturkey.

When you post your selfie with the turkey, be sure to state how long you have been smoke or tobacco-free.

“We are essentially asking them to be a turkey to win a turkey,” Harvey said.

More resources for people who need help quitting may be found on the American Cancer Society’s annual Great American Smokeout here. The Great American Smokeout takes annually on the third Thursday of November and serves as a chance for people who smoke to commit to healthier lives.

The American Cancer Society notes that even though there’s been a drastic decrease in smoking since the Great American Smokeout began in the 1970s – the rates of cigarette usage have dropped from 42 percent of Americans in 1965 to just 14 percent in 2019, smoking still “remains the single largest preventable cause of death and illness in the world.”