News Feature                   For Immediate Release

 February 21, 2006

Discover the Drive to Quit!

Your journey to becoming smoke-free could put you behind the wheel of a new Honda Civic!

Quit smoking for the month of April and you could win a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid or 1 of 7 Sony 32” Widescreen LCD HDTVs.

“The 2006 Driven to Quit Challenge is for daily smokers who are thinking about quitting”, says Lisa Prowd, Public Health Nurse for the Grey Bruce Health Unit. Ontario residents, aged 19 and older, who are daily cigarette smokers for at least the past year can enter. People who smoke pipes, cigars or use chewing tobacco daily are also eligible to enter. If you have already kicked the habit and quit smoking since January 1, 2006, you are also eligible.

Register today so you can start making plans to butt out on April 1, 2006. You will need to find a non-smoking buddy to support you going smoke-free. Support from family and friends makes a real difference to your success. Having a buddy is a requirement of the Challenge. Buddies are eligible to win a $250 prize.

Join the Driven to Quit Challenge at www.driventoquit.ca  by March 31, 2006. To receive a hard-copy registration form, visit your local Canadian Cancer Society or Public Health offices in Owen Sound and Walkerton. You can quit smoking any time after you register. To be eligible for the Driven to Quit Challenge prizes, you must remain smoke-free for the month of April.

Want to increase your chances of quitting for good?

·         Call the Canadian Cancer Society Smokers’ Helpline at 1-877-513-5333 for free, confidential, service providing personalized support, advice and information about quitting

·         Talk to your health care professional or pharmacist about smoking cessation aids, such as the nicotine patch, chewing pieces, and/or inhaler

·         Contact the Public Health - Tobacco Treatment Team at 376-9420 for additional quit smoking tips, strategies, and counseling support

“Quitting smoking isn’t easy, but it is the best thing you can do to improve your life and health”, says Prowd.  “The benefits of becoming smoke-free begin immediately and last a lifetime. The Challenge is on. Discover the drive to quit, and be a winner”.

The Canadian Cancer Society, Ontario Division sponsors the Driven to Quit Challenge with funding from the Government of Ontario. Prizes are possible through the generous support of Pfizer.

Winners will be randomly drawn on May 1, 2006 and announced in May 2006.

For further information call Public Health at 376-9420 or visit www.driventoquit.ca.

For more information:

Lisa Prowd, RN, B.Sc.N.

Public Health Nurse

Grey Bruce Health Unit

(519) 376-9420, ext. 437