Thursday, January 09, 2014
Grey Bruce Health Unit
wouldurather... Supports Young Adults to Quit!
The wouldurather… contest offers cash and prizes to young adults in Grey Bruce who quit, reduce or stay smoke-free for six weeks. Hosted by the Grey Bruce Health Unit and Leave The Pack Behind, the contest is open to young adults between the ages of 18-29 or post-secondary students at Georgian College.
Health Canada reports 18 per cent of young adults in Ontario are current smokers with more young adults than teens or older adults using tobacco. The wouldurather... contest offers a unique and proven way to support young adults to quit; about 20 per cent of students who participate in the contest quit and stay smoke-free. Without the motivation and support of the contest, only about 5 per cent would quit by themselves.
The contest is designed for young adults who smoke daily or socially. It offers smokers three different ways to change their smoking; they can quit smoking altogether, they can cut their smoking in half, or they can refrain from smoking when they are socializing and drinking alcohol. Non-smokers can enter the contest by pledging to remain smoke-free. All contestants receive motivational emails, support from a buddy and the option of free nicotine replacement therapy (patch/gum).
“There is no time like the present,” says Jason Cranny, Youth Advisor with the Grey Bruce Health Unit. “The wouldurather… contest is a great opportunity to quit for good and begin 2014 on a healthy note.”
Participants can sign up at www.wouldurather.ca until January 26, 2014. The contest begins January 27. Two $2,500 grand prizes will be awarded to two contestants who quit smoking altogether. Other prizes include cash, tuition waivers and gift cards from community and campus retailers for participants who cut their smoking in half, avoid smoking when drinking and socializing or who remain smoke-free.
Funded by the Government of Ontario, Leave The Pack Behind is a comprehensive program that addresses protection, prevention and cessation to reduce tobacco use among older youth and young adults on post-secondary campuses. Strategies include social marketing, brief and intensive smoking cessation counselling and peer-to-peer programs that actively discourage tobacco use, Leave The Pack Behind is established on all 20 universities and all 24 applied arts college campuses in Ontario reaching just over 599,000 students, representing approximately 155,000 smokers.
Media Contact:
Jason Cranny
Youth Advisor
Grey Bruce Health Unit
519-376-9420 or 1-800-263-3456 ext 1471
j.cranny@publichealthgreybruce.on.ca
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