One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to quit smoking, and a survey finds 70 percent of Iowa smokers say they want to quit, while 50 percent plan to try quitting in 2026. Quitting can be difficult, though. Studies show the average smoker makes about seven quit attempts before quitting for good.
Jackie Cale, Iowa government relations director for the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network, says the need is especially urgent in Iowa.
“Iowa has the second-highest cancer rates in the nation — we’re only behind Kentucky,” Cale says. “Tobacco use in Iowa is still the number-one cause of preventable death. Our smoking rates are higher than the national average, and lung cancer remains among the top three cancers in the state, with tobacco use causing over 80 percent of those cases.”…