Peggy Revell
District residents are being asked to trade in tobacco during the month of March for the chance to win prizes with the launch of the fifth province-wide “Driven to Quit Challenge.”
“This year we have some great prizes, as we always do,” Naomi McNeill, with the Canadian Cancer Society Smokers’ Helpline, said during last Wednesday’s launch at the Memorial Sports Centre here.
All participants in Ontario who successfully quit using tobacco for the 31 days in March will have the chance to win the grand prize of a 2010 Ford Hybrid Escape.
Also up for grabs are two $5,000 vacation getaways, along with a regional prize of a $2,000 MasterCard gift card.
“Since 2006, the ‘Driven to Quit Challenge’ has inspired more than 101,000 Ontarians to make a quit attempt,” McNeill said of the challenge which is hosted by the Canadian Cancer Society in support of a Smoke-Free Ontario, in collaboration with the Northwestern Health Unit offices.
Last year about 23,000 Ontarians registered for the contest.
This year, people—with their “support buddy”—can sign up to participate online by visiting www.driventoquit.ca or through hard copy forms available at local Northwestern Health Unit offices.
The contest is open to anyone in Ontario who is 19 years of age or older, and who has used tobacco at least once weekly for a minimum of one year prior to Jan. 1, 2010 and at least 100 times in their life, McNeill explained.
While participants in past years have been able to sign up starting in February, this year they can do so even earlier, McNeill noted.
“We’re trying to get people who are quitting for their New Year’s resolutions and we’re hoping that a lot more people just enter the contest, as well,” she reasoned.
As well, by signing up in advance, it will give participants the chance to create a “quit plan,” McNeill explained.
“We know that quitting is not a one-time ‘Okay, I’m quitting tomorrow’ kind of thing—that it’s a process,” she stressed.
Also new this year, the challenge has been opened up to occasional smokers.
“We’re really trying to focus a little bit more on the young adult population who, for example, may go away to school at [age] 17, 18, 19 and take up smoking occasionally, not realizing that that can lead to a daily tobacco habit down the road, depending on the person,” McNeill said.
“If you know of anybody who is thinking of quitting, encourage them to register for the contest at driventoquit.ca, be their ‘support buddy,’ and let them know that there are many services out there to help them quit,” she urged.
“In Fort Frances alone, there’s many services.”
One of these services is the Smokers’ Helpline, which can be reached by calling toll-free 1-877-513-5333 or visiting www.smokershelpline.ca
“The Smokers’ Helpline can really help people develop that process for the first two months and then quit smoking for that 31 days, for the month of March,” said McNeill.
For example, one of the free services includes “Text to quit,” where people can receive text messages to help them as they attempt to quit smoking, such as a countdown to “quit day” or helping a person deal with situations—such as being around alcohol—that might cause them to light up again.
Locally, the Northwestern Health Unit also is available to provide help for those wanting to quit using tobacco—programs which health educator Becky Holden spoke about at the “Driven to Quit” launch last Wednesday.
“The Northwestern Health Unit offers training to workplaces and community partners to help them support their clients or their employees to provide brief intervention cessation counselling,” said Holden, referring to one of the programs offered.
While people can sign up for the “Driven to Quit Challenge” online, they also can fill out the registration form at their local health unit office, she added, and receive face-to-face support and help.
For example, this includes tools for smoking cessation, such as free “quit kits” filled with gums, toothpicks, “tangles” reading material, and other items to help those who are quitting keep their hands preoccupied.
Along with the health unit, another local resource for those wanting to quit smoking is the Urban Aboriginal Healthy Living Program run through the United Native Friendship Centre here—programs that are not just for aboriginal clients, stressed Aimee Beazley of the UNFC.
One of these programs is “Baby and Me,” which Beazley noted is one of five pilot projects across Ontario to help expectant mothers butt out.
“The program is to help them quit and stay quit even after a baby is born,” she explained. “There are smoking cessation sessions they have to attend prior to the baby being born.
“After the baby, then we test them monthly to stay quit. And as an incentive, if they pass their test, they get $50 in Pampers vouchers that they can go use at Wal-Mart, and that’s good for a whole year,” Beazley added.
So far, there have been two mothers who have completed the program, have had their babies, and have stayed smoke-free, Beazley noted.
“Which is really good, and it’s really good for us to be there to support them,” she remarked.
