News archive
For Immediate Release
Contest Participants Make 2010 Their Year to Quit Smoking, and Win
February 18, 2010 - Eleven British Columbians are collecting their prizes after winning the BC Lung Association’s QuitNow & WIN contest. To qualify, they had to be BC residents who remained tobacco-free from January 5 through February 2, 2010.
Grand prize winner Joan Pope of Mill Bay was a smoker for 50 years but says 2010 is her year to quit for good, “My quit date was November 16, 2009. I’ve tried to stop smoking several times before, but I’m determined this time. When I saw the QuitNow & WIN commercial on TV I thought why not, participating was an added incentive for me to keep going. I can’t believe I’ve actually won!”
Pope will receive $5,000 in prize gift certificates and plans to use her winnings to finance some travel with her husband and support buddy Pete. In the meantime, she is managing her withdrawal symptoms with nicotine replacement therapy and regular exercise, “Quitting is difficult but it gets easier every day. The email tips and reminders from QuitNow helped a lot, and so does the nicotine patch.”
 |
QuitNow & Win Contest Grand Prize Winner Joan Pope of Mill Bay. |
“I love walking and before I quit I was really struggling going up hills. The doctor put me on an inhaler to help with my breathing and said it may not improve much, but I’m determined to prove him wrong,” continued Pope. “Since choosing to be a non-smoker my breathing has already improved. I don’t cough at night anymore and when I lie down my chest no longer rattles and rolls like it used to. I’ve even joined a local health club which I really enjoy.”
About 11,000 people were directly involved in the contest – 5,700 registered to quit, and each of them had a buddy for support. Registration for the contest ran from November 20, 2009 to January 4, 2010. People who wanted to quit smoking registered on the QuitNow.ca website
In addition to the grand prize winner, five regional and five age category winners each received $1,000 in gift certificates. Each winner had to register a buddy who will be awarded a $200 gift certificate. Prizes for the contest were donated by McNeil Consumer Healthcare.
Other regional and age category winners include:
Fraser Region: James Hearns of Coquitlam
Interior Region: Diane Leroux of Armstrong
Northern Region: Tia Christie of Quesnel
Vancouver Coastal Region: Adam Pullman of Texada Island
Vancouver Island Region: Shawn Wood of Courtenay
Age 19-29 years: Jessica Schramm of Nanaimo
Age 30-39 years: Jody St. Onge of Winfield
Age 40-49 years: Danielle Reid of Valemount
Age 50-59 years: Shelley Punko of Vancouver
Age 60+ years: Ruby Bruce of Coquitlam
Winners of the QuitNow & WIN contest were chosen randomly and had to verify their tobacco-free status with a urine sample and a carbon monoxide test.
Minister of Healthy Living and Sport Ida Chong says, “One of the best things about the QuitNow & WIN contest is that there really are no losers, because each time you try to quit, you are one step closer to being smoke-free. I am extremely pleased to congratulate Joan Pope on her success. She is living proof that with the right combination of encouragement and structured support anyone can quit, even someone who has smoked for 50 years!”
Scott McDonald, BC Lung Association Executive Director says the contest has proven to be a fantastic incentive for smokers who are thinking about quitting, “It’s so easy to take up the smoking habit and so tough to quit. We applaud everyone who has tried. If you haven’t been successful yet, try again. And don’t be afraid to ask for help. Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or healthcare provider, or visit our quitnow.ca website to learn about free tools and resources available 24/7 to help you succeed.”
Contest data shows that smokers entering the 2010 contest were 60 percent women and 40 percent men. On average, participants were 40 years of age and had been smoking approximately 16 cigarettes a day for about 20 years.
Organized by the BC Lung Association through grant funding by the Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport, and support from McNeil Consumer Healthcare, the QuitNow & WIN contest and QuitNow Services are supported by ActNow BC.
Media contacts
Katrina van Bylandt, Communications Manager, BC Lung Association
T 604.731.5864 Toll Free 1.800.665.5864 E vanbylandt@bc.lung.ca
Suzanne Gay, QuitNow Services Manager, BC Lung Association
T 250.655.1983 E quitnow@bc.lung.ca