UNITED STATES -- Every year on November 15th, the American Cancer Society makes a nationwide push to get people to stop smoking. It's called the Great American Smokeout. All smokers are encouraged to quit smoking starting that day, or seek out resources that can help them quit.

According to the American Cancer Society, tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the country, but nearly 44 million Americans still smoke cigarettes.

One former smoker spoke out about his motivation to quit after smoking for 18 years.

"I started counting the days. It was like one day, three days and I bragged about it. At one point I remember it was five years, four months, three days and I kept track throughout the days. And like I said, January 31st will be my 10 years so I've been keeping track that long to keep me motivated on continuing not to smoke," said Eric Emerick, a former smoker.

If you want more information about how you can quit smoking successfully, visit the American Cancer Society website at cancer.org or call them at 1-800-227-2345.