32nd Annual Great American Smokeout 2008 Begins Today

Rather than boring you with health-related reasons to join the Great American Smokeout '08, let's not start with health. Let's start with the walls inside your house. Have you ever tried to clean the walls inside a heavy smoker's house? I have --- my mother's house. There is a layer of something ... nicotine or something there that is hard to get off. Now just imagine your lungs ...

Speaking of your lungs, we will talk about them. Let's talk emphysema. A progressive lung disease that results in shortness of breath. No, it's not strictly smoking-related, meaning those who don't smoke can get it, but the incidence is waaaay higher with smokers. And, naturally, it's not just crippling, it can lead to death.

Now the Great American Smokeout "Big C" reason: Cancer? Do I really need to tell you about the horrors of cancer?

And finally, Great American Smoking reason "K" ... your kids. Remember those walls above? If you don't care about your lungs, how about your kids' lungs?

One good question: why are people still taking up the habit? You would think young people, bombarded with information, would eschew smoking. Apparently not.

According to the CDC, about 43.4 million U.S. adults still smoke. Considering the U.S. recently 300 million PEOPLE, not adults, in population, you can see that's a pretty high number.

It should be noted that other countries, such as Europe and Japan, smoke in far greater numbers than in the U.S.

For more information and help quitting, call 1-800-784-8669 or visit the 1-800-Quit-Now website.