Now is a good time to quit smoking and win prizes!

News Release
NWHU

Dryden, ON – 2011 is the perfect time to be a quitter. More than 145 people in the Northwest region have already committed to quit smoking by
March 1st by registering for the 6th annual Driven to Quit Challenge. There is time for others to join them as registration is open until the end of February 2011and if you register in January you will also be eligible for the early bird prize, a $1000 MasterCard gift card.
The Driven to Quit Challenge is a health promotion campaign that encourages Ontario adult tobacco users to give up tobacco with the support of a “buddy”. Those who stay tobaccofree for the month of March are entered to win their choice of a new Honda hybrid, one of two $5,000 CAA vacation getaways and one of seven $2000 MasterCard gift cards. Support buddies are also eligible to win a $200 MasterCard gift card.
Since 2006, the Challenge has helped more than 130,000 Ontarians to make a quit attempt.
Last year, a total of 1600 people from the Northwest registered for the challenge and pledged to quit tobacco. Alana Stones from Thunder Bay was a winner in 2010 of a $2,000 MasterCard gift card and gives this advice to those trying to quit: “Think the worst. My grandmother and cousin died of lung cancer and another friend who died of cancer was a smoker.”
For help to get on track, tobacco users can access resources such as the Canadian Cancer Society Smokers’ Helpline at 1-877-513-5333 and www.smokershelpline.ca for free support, advice and information.
The Driven to Quit Challenge is hosted by the Canadian Cancer Society and presented in collaboration with local public health units across the province, with funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport and generous prize support from McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson Inc.
To register for the Driven to Quit Challenge, Ontarians aged 19 and over can visit www.driventoquit.ca or obtain a registration form from their local Northwestern Health Unit office.