Quit smoking today

Amanda Thornton realized she needed to quit once and for all when her 5-year-old daughter, Sophia began making remarks about how disgusting smoking is.

Thornton, 26, of Clovis, always put her daughter's health first and made sure to never smoke around her, so she didn't know her mom was a smoker. Thornton soon realized it was still having an effect on her.

"She would notice people smoking and say, 'I don't like that, you should never do that'," Thornton said.

Today is the 37th Great American Smokeout, sponsored by the American Cancer Society.

Through the Great American Smokeout, the American Cancer Society challenges smokers to quit for one day. According to the American Cancer Society, tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the U.S., yet about 43.8 million Americans still smoke cigarettes, meaning nearly one in every five adults.

According to the New Mexico Department of Health, its estimated that the adult smoking rate in Curry County is 22.3 percent, 20.5 percent in Roosevelt County and 27.9 percent in Quay County.

Thornton said she smoked her first cigarette at age 15 and had smoked on and off for 11 years. While working in the road construction business for three years, she was smoking a 10 to 20 cigarettes daily.

"Things were stressful in that job and being around co-workers who also smoked made it very difficult to even attempt to quit," Thornton said.

She had quit in the past, but it wasn't until after attending a religious women's retreat a month ago, that she was able to kick the habit for good, she said.

"When I attended the retreat, God laid it on my heart to give him the things that were holding me back," Thornton said. "Smoking was the main one."

"When I see people smoking, or get the urge, I reach out to God and he helps with the craving," Thornton said. "Life without cigarettes has been great. I don't use as much perfume."

According to the American Cancer Society, the Great American Smokeout has helped dramatically change Americans' attitudes about smoking and the Society is leading a global effort to prevent a catastrophic tobacco pandemic.

In conjunction with the Great American Smokeout, the Clovis Relay for Life is holding its 2013 Kickoff 7 p.m. today at North Plains Mall near JC Penney.

The 18th annual Relay For Life-Clovis will be held May 10-11 at the Ned Houk Park.