I grew up in a house of smokers and I'm old enough that my Mom smoked the entire time she was pregnant (it wasn't so frowned upon back then) so I came out wanting a Marlboro

Back when I was a kid it seemed just as many people smoked as those that didn't. We even had a "smokers tree" in high school where all the smokers would gather. Before school, during lunch, and after lunch, all the kids that smoked would walk across the street and light up next to the tree.

Things have certainly changed over the last couple of decades and what was once considered "cool", is now viewed as a nasty and expensive habit by many.

Today is the Great American Smokeout, a day for those that smoke to "kick the habit" if you will. The "Great American Smokeout" started back in 1976, but the idea for the event started in 1970 by a Guidance Counselor who asked those around him to give up smoking for one day.

So how many Montanans smoke?

According to the website worldpopulationreview.com, the number of adults smoking in the state of Montana is a little over 16 percent. Montana finds itself right in the middle between the states with the highest and lowest percentage of smokers.  West Virginia takes the top spot with just under 24 percent of adults smoking and Utah has the least amount with just under 8 percent.

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Besides all of the health risks that come with smoking, can we talk about the price for a minute?  I have no idea how much a pack of cigarettes costs, so I asked around the office and was told that "it costs over 8 bucks a pack".

8 dollars? Are you kidding me? So it's dangerous to your health AND will cost you a fortune?

I understand addiction, in fact, I used to smoke. (I know, I know, there is nothing worse than an ex-smoker preaching to you) It's an extremely hard habit to break and usually takes several attempts, but it is possible and there are folks out there that are willing to help.

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Here in Montana, we have the Montana Tobacco Quitline. It's a free program that helps you through all of the steps of quitting all tobacco products. You can call the Montana Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-784-8669 or you can visit their website by clicking here.

Credit: worldpopulationreview.com

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