This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Quit cold turkey — and pick up a free turkey sandwich.
As part of the Great American Smokeout, being celebrated on Thursday, the Utah Department of Health and Subway are encouraging Utahns to give up tobacco.
Every Utahn who attends a Friday gathering at the Valley Fair Mall in West Valley and pledges to give up tobacco will receive a free 6-inch sub — turkey or not — from Subway. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the center court of the mall, 3601 S. 2700 West (Constitution Blvd.)
And anyone who calls the toll-free Utah Tobacco Quit Line at 1-888-567-TRUTH between Thursday and Nov. 25 will receive a smoking-cessation kit with a card good for a free 6-inch sub at any Subway restaurant in Utah.
Learn more about the quit line's services at http://www.tobaccofreeutah.org/quitline.htm.
The American Cancer Society hosted its first Great American Smokeout in 1976 to inspire and encourage smokers to quit for one day. Today, it also encourages Americans to make a long-term commitment to quit for good — and to support laws that help protect communities from tobacco.
Visit cancer.org/Smokeout or call 1-800-227-2345 to learn more.
Each year, more than 1,100 Utah adults die as a result of smoking, according to the statehealth department.
Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States, the society said in a statement. Tobacco use increases the risk of at least 15 types of cancer, and 30 percent of all cancer deaths can be attributed to using tobacco, it said.