LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The City of Little Rock is taking a stand against a deadly addiction, one day at a time.

The Great American Smoke-Out Day on Thursday is nationally recognized as a time to raise awareness of the dangers of smoking, and to encourage users to quit for 24 hours.

The Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Arkansas teamed up with the city to celebrate by hosting medical leaders, city officials and former smokers to share their stories.

Katherine Donald, with the coalition, said the single best thing for a person’s health is making a decision.

“The most important thing we believe that a smoker and other tobacco users can do to improve their health is to quit,” Donald said.

According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, one in five Arkansans smoke cigarettes and more than 400,000 people die each year in the U.S. from smoking, including exposure to second-hand smoke.