DETROIT, MICH. –Cancer patients, survivors and advocates are marking the American Cancer Society's 49th annual Great American Smokeout® happening Thursday, November 20th, by calling on the Wayne County Airport Authority to halt plans to allow smoking inside the Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW).
“Everyone — including travelers and those who work at the airport — deserves the right to breathe clean, smoke-free air,” said Molly Medenblik, Michigan government relations director at American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). “Travelers shouldn’t have to worry about being exposed to secondhand smoke — especially when the evidence is crystal clear that it poses serious risks to a person's health.”
In Michigan, tobacco use is still the leading preventable cause of disease and death, and smoking is linked to at least 12 types of cancers, including lung, liver and colorectal cancers. Each year, more than 16,000 people die from a smoking-related disease in Michigan alone. Although these hazards are well established, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show 13.6% of adults in Michigan smoke. These products are highly addictive, and it can be difficult for people to quit using tobacco once they have started.
On this Great American Smokeout, ACS CAN urges the Wayne County Airport Authority board to support people who want to quit using tobacco by keeping the airport smoke-free.
The Great American Smokeout is a day for people who smoke or use any form of tobacco, including e-cigarettes or nicotine pouches, to create a plan to quit. Free resources on quitting tobacco can be found through the American Cancer Society’s cessation program, Empowered to Quit or at MI Tobacco Quitlink.