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Snuffing smoking: 43 days until new tobacco laws go into effect  

It has never been a better time to quit smoking.

That has always been the message from public-health advocates, but with a statewide smoking ban looming, some smokers may be paying more attention this year.

Last Thursday was the Great American Smokeout, an annual "holiday" created by the American Cancer Society to encourage smokers to put down tobacco for one day and consider quitting for good.

But this year brings an added twist: There are 43 days until a ban on smoking in public places takes effect. On Jan. 1, it will become illegal to smoke in bars, restaurants, workplaces and almost everywhere else in Illinois.

Interest in smoking-cessation programs, especially by companies looking to encourage employees to quit, is way up, said Kathy Sullivan, director of the Rockford Chapter of the American Lung Association.

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