Make a commitment to improving your health by quitting smoking during the Great American Smokeout today. The American Cancer Society sponsors the event each year to encourage smokers to go the distance and finally quit smoking. About 42 million people in the United States still smoke, and tobacco remains the single most preventable cause of disease and premature death. Besides lung cancer, tobacco use also increases the risk for cancers of the mouth, lips, nose, throat, esophagus, and cancer in organs such as the pancreas, stomach, kidney and bladder.