Valdosta, GA - If you need an invitation to quit smoking or a little encouragement this is the day.

Thursday was the "Great American Smoke Out." It's an annual event nationwide.

They spent the day at the Valdosta Mall educating folks on the harmful effects of smoking and chewing tobacco. South Georgia Medical Center and the South Health District partnered with the American Cancer Society for the event.

"Our hope is for those who smoke to see the effects of what those cigarettes are doing to them," said Marie Sims with South Georgia Medical Center. "And I also want the non-smokers here to take the information back to the smokers in their lives and share it with them."

Tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of disease in America.