You do not need a PhD to know that smoking is hazardous to your health and to the health of those around you. It also does not take a rocket scientist to realize that there isn’t any shame in seeking some help to kick the habit.

Those two points will certainly come into play Thursday when the American Cancer Society holds its 36th annual Great American Smokeout across the country.

This is an awareness campaign designed to empower individuals who want to stop using cigarettes or smokeless tobacco but need a little helping hand to get started.

Giving up a bad habit and addiction like this is extremely difficult and people often keep pushing it off until tomorrow. The problem is that tomorrow never comes.

Lawrence County is also among Ohio’s worst for tobacco use. But if someone was going to pick a day to stop, Thursday would be a good starting point.

The local health departments and hospitals and other organizations offer a variety of programs that can assist with this.

To learn about the available tools, call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or go to www.cancer.org.

The medical evidence is beyond reproach: Smoking will kill you.

It will also kill those around you as second hand smoke is also very carcinogenic. So, you can keep waiting until tomorrow or you can put the smokes out on Thursday.