Smokers across the nation put down their cigarettes Thursday in honor of the American Cancer Society’s 28th annual Great American Smoke Out. Now that one day is down, it is time to quit for good, doctors say.

“The most important thing about tobacco use that people need to be aware of is that it increases your risk of sudden death 15 fold,” Dr. Kevin Sublett, doctor of cardiovascular diseases at Cardiology of Central Alabama, said. “The benefits of quitting smoking is substantial at any age. If a person quits before the age of 50, it decreases his or her risk of dying in the next 15 years by half.”