November 5, 2007, ST. LOUIS – An estimated one million smokers will attempt to kick the habit this month as part of the annual Smokeout.

The Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine will offer its annual "Siteman Smokeout for Life," Thursday, November 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Center for Advanced Medicine at the corner of Euclid and Forest Park.

Maria Baggstrom, MD, a Siteman Cancer Center oncologist who specializes in treating lung cancer, will be at the Smokeout to talk with patients about ways to quit. She says while most everyone knows the dangers of smoking, not everyone wants to quit.

"You have to have a patient who wants to quit smoking," says Baggstrom. "And when you talk with them you look at gradual ways of quitting."

Baggstrom says those gradual ways can be supplemented with nicotine replacement like patches or gum, or with new drugs like Chantix that make smokers not want to touch cigarettes.

In addition, she says it''s important to get the message out about the dangers of smoking to America''s youth.

"Some children start smoking as early as middle school and they can become addicted more quickly than an adult," says Baggstrom. "Once they start it''s harder to quit and then you have someone who becomes a lifelong smoker."

This year''s "Siteman Smokeout for Life" is co-sponsored by the St. Louis Blues and Pfizer, Inc. Siteman will offer information on the dangers of smoking and the benefits of quitting, a free pulmonary function test and oxygen saturation screening, information about smoking cessation classes and a Blues player will be on hand to sign autographs.

For more information, call the Siteman Cancer Center at 800-600-3606.