Not long ago, bus, train, and airplane travelers who did not smoke had no choice but to breathe the smoke of other passengers who lit up in the next row. Restaurant diners had to tolerate the smells of tobacco while they tried to enjoy meals. Now, the smoke is finally clearing.

On November 15, 2001, the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout turns 25 -- 25 years, which also mark dramatic changes in society's view of tobacco promotion and tobacco use. The Great American Smokeout has spotlighted the dangers of tobacco use and the challenges of quitting, but, more important, it has set the stage for the "cultural revolution" in tobacco use and tolerance.

Significant landmarks in the areas of research, policy, and the environment can be celebrated, because of individuals and groups leading key anti-tobacco efforts:

In 1977, Berkeley, Calif., became the first community to limit smoking in restaurants and other public places.

In 1983, San Francisco passed the first strong workplace smoking restrictions, including bans on smoking in private workplaces.

In 1990, the federal smoking ban on all interstate buses and domestic flights of six hours or less took effect.

In 1994, the state of Mississippi filed the first of 24 state lawsuits seeking to recuperate millions of dollars from tobacco companies for smokers' Medicaid bills.

In 1999, the Department of Justice filed suit against cigarette manufacturers, charging the industry with defrauding the public by lying about the risks of smoking.

In 1999, the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) was passed, requiring tobacco companies to pay $206 billion to 45 states by the year 2025 to cover Medicaid costs of treating smokers. The MSA also closed the Tobacco Institute and ended cartoon advertising and tobacco billboards.

"Those are just a very few of the remarkable changes that have weakened the acceptance of smoking as 'normal,'" said John R. Seffrin, MD, CEO of the American Cancer Society. "Unfortunately, we still have a long way to go."

An estimated 47 million adults in the United States currently smoke, and approximately half will die prematurely from smoking. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for men and women. This year alone, approximately 169,500 new cases will be diagnosed in the United States. More than 80 percent of lung cancers are thought to result from smoking.

The American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout grew out of a 1971 event in Randolph, Mass., in which Arthur P. Mullaney asked people to give up cigarettes for a day and donate the money they would have spent on cigarettes to a high school scholarship fund. In 1974, Lynn R. Smith, editor of the Monticello Times in Minnesota, spearheaded the state's first D-Day, or Don't Smoke Day. The idea caught on. On November 18, 1976, the California Division of the American Cancer Society persuaded nearly one million smokers to quit for the day. The first national Great American Smokeout was held in 1977.

During the next 25 years, the Smokeout was celebrated with rallies, parades, stunts, quitting information, and even "cold turkey" menu items in schools, workplaces, Main Streets, and legislative halls throughout the United States.

In the past 25 years, The Great American Smokeout has been chaired by some of America's most popular celebrities, including Sammy Davis, Jr., Edward Asner, Natalie Cole, Larry Hagman, Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, the first "spokespud" Mr. Potato Head, and many others.

The American Cancer Society will continue its efforts to eliminate lung cancer, to inform people about the dangers of smoking, and to save lives by providing the tools needed to help smokers quit. For more information about how to get involved in the Great American Smokeout call 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit cancer.org. Smokers can access the Society's resources to help them quit by calling the same number or by visiting the Web site.

The American Cancer Society is the nationwide, community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy, and service.