Today is a good day to clear the air.

It’s the annual Great American Smokeout — marked on the third Thursday in November — when smokers will make the commitment to stop smoking for the day.

The goal is to convince smokers that if they can quit for 24 hours, they can quit for good. You don’t have to stop smoking in one day. Start with Day 1, literature from the American Cancer Society reminds. It’s a great first step to stopping a bad habit that can lead to dire consequences.

Like with most efforts, there is good news and bad news to report. According to the American Cancer Society, the rate of cigarette smoking in the United States has declined from 42 percent in 1965 to around 11 percent today. The bad news is that more than 28 million American adults still smoke cigarettes, and smokin

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