Halton Region challenges tobacco users to gear up to quit: Driven to Quit Challenge

Halton Region is gearing up in the fight against cancer this month by partnering in the fifth Driven to Quit Challenge. An estimated 23,400 Canadians will be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2009 – 20,500 will die from the disease. Cigarette smoking causes approximately 85 per cent of lung cancers.

“We are proud to work with our local and provincial partners to participate in this year’s Driven to Quit Challenge,” said Gary Carr, Halton Regional Chair. “This initiative offers residents an extra incentive and support to be successful in their quit attempts. I challenge all adult smokers and tobacco users in Halton to gear up to quit smoking in 2010.”

The Driven to Quit Challenge is a health promotion campaign that encourages Ontario adults who are daily smokers or tobacco users to make a quit attempt with the support of a “buddy” for the chance to win a hybrid car or other prizes. Friends and family members of smokers are encouraged to become a support buddy in the Challenge for their chance to win a buddy prize.

This year, working together with the Halton Region Cessation Community of Practice (CoP), the Region hopes to see 1,200 entrants in Halton.

“After heart disease and stroke, lung cancer is the third highest cause of death in Halton Region,” said Dr. Bob Nosal, Medical Officer of Health for Halton Region. “The Driven to Quit Challenge, along with our Stop Smoking Clinic and other initiatives, is an important part of our ongoing smoking cessation efforts.”

Since 2006, the Challenge has been successful in motivating more than 101,000 entrants to get on the road to better health with the support of a buddy and motivating prizes. In Halton, nearly 8,000 entrants have registered since the contest began.

This year, a 2010 Ford Escape hybrid, two $5,000 vacation getaways and seven regional prizes are among the prizes available.

There are three ways to enter:

• online at www.DrivenToQuit.ca
• by faxing/mailing a registration form (available from Halton Region)
• by calling Smokers’ Helpline at 1-877-513-5333

The Challenge will have regular updates and quit tips on Facebook and on Twitter.

Registration is open from January 4 to February 28, 2010. Those who register by January 31, 2010, will qualify for the early bird prize of a $1,000 MasterCard gift card.

The Driven to Quit Challenge is hosted by the Canadian Cancer Society, Ontario Division, with funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion and generous prize support from McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson Inc. The Driven to Quit Challenge is presented in collaboration with local public health departments across the province.

For more information, contact Halton Region by dialing 311 or 905-825-6000, toll free 1-866-4HALTON (1-866-442-5866), TTY 905-827-9833 or visit www.halton.ca.

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