News & announcements
Quit and Cruise in 2009 - Local organizations launch massive quit smoking campaign
November 24, 2008 – By quitting smoking in the first month of 2009, people can win prizes totalling $22,500; including a grand prize trip for two to Alaska as part of the BC Lung Association’s QuitNow & WIN Contest.
The contest, hosted at www.quitnow.ca, uses the ‘buddy system’, in which friends encourage friends to quit and provide support throughout the quitting process. Both participants and their buddies will be entered to win a range of prizes from $500 Future Shop gift certificates to a grand-prize cruise to Alaska and $7500 in gift certificates for a total value of $10,000.
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The Honourable Mary Polak, Minister of Healthy Living and Sport with Keith Murray, volunteer director and president of the BC Lung Association. |
“It can be very difficult for anyone to quit smoking,” says Mary Polak, Minister of Healthy Living and Sport. “Through the QuitNow & WIN contest, participants have the support of friends and family, along with many services to help them lead healthy, smoke-free lifestyles.”
Organized by the BC Lung Association through grant funding by the Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport, the QuitNow & WIN contest is supported by ActNow BC and serves as an added incentive for BC smokers ready to quit.
“We want to do all within our power to get smokers to quit, and being that New Year’s Eve is the time when many smokers pledge to give up smoking, we decided to offer added motivation by running a contest,” says Scott McDonald, Executive Director for the BC Lung Association.
Lung disease is the fastest growing cause of hospitalization, disability and death in Canada. The main cause: tobacco use.
"It's like the brakes on a car," says McDonald. "You don't realize the damage you’re doing to yourself by smoking, and then at some point your lungs just give out on you – and your life changes forever,” continued McDonald.
“People who quit smoking, regardless of their age, live longer than people who continue to smoke. They also decrease their chances of lung disease, cardiovascular illness, cancer, and other serious ailments,” he added.
The BC Lung Association encourages smokers and their friends to sign up for the
QuitNow & WIN contest at www.quitnow.ca. The Association also encourages smoker to capitalize on QuitNow Services; tobacco use cessation services provided free-of-charge to all British Columbians.
Under QuitNow & WIN, British Columbians have access to QuitNow by Phone (1-877-455-2233), a clinically proven, cost-free, telephone-based counselling program available 24/7 in over 130 languages. They can also access www.quitnow.ca, an Internet-based quit smoking service that combines effective methods for quitting smoking with an individualized program that is available anytime and anyplace.
About the QuitNow & WIN Contest
Winners of the QuitNow & WIN contest will be drawn on or close to February 3, 2009. Contest entrants must be residents of British Columbia, 19 years of age or over, and must remain tobacco-free from January 6, 2009 through and including February 2, 2009. All QuitNow & WIN entries must be received or post-marked by January 5, 2009 at 11:59 pm, and all contest winners will be required to verify their tobacco-free status with a urine sample and a carbon monoxide test. Prizes for the contest have been donated by McNeil Consumer Healthcare.
Registration for the contest will be available online at www.quitnow.ca. Forms are also available through contest promoters province-wide or from the BC Lung Association office at 604-731-5864 or toll-free at 1-800-665-5864.
About ActNow BC
ActNow BC is the government’s healthy living initiative to encourage British Columbians to lead healthier lives through increased physical activity, healthy eating, eliminating tobacco use and healthy pregnancies. For more information and to take the ActNow BC Healthy Living Pledge, visit www.actnowbc.ca.
For more information please contact:
Jack Boomer
Director, QuitNow Services
C 604.312.0228
E jackboomer@shaw.ca
Katrina van Bylandt
Communications Manager, BC Lung Association
C 778.772.4788
T 604.731.5864 Toll Free 1.800.665.5864
E vanbylandt@bc.lung.ca