Le Quit to Win! Challenge

A winning approach for people who want to quit smoking

The Quit to Win! Challenge is a dynamic campaign that comes to the aid of Québec smokers who want to put a stop to cigarettes. With its positive and motivating approach, it invites them to quit smoking for at least 6 weeks, from March 1 to April 11.

When they register, whether with a non-smoking sponsor or with a team-mate who also wants to quit, participants benefit from outstanding support:

• a free support kit available at PJC Jean Coutu pharmacies that contains information, resources and useful quit-smoking items;
• the www.QuitChallenge.ca website, a first-rate source of information to help prepare for and live through the quitting process. It’s also a place where a more than dynamic virtual community – which is also active in social networks – can exchange ideas and experiences and help one another out;
• the “I’m Butting Out” series of e-mails, sent exclusively to participants for a one-year period;
• the 1 866 jarrête (527-7383) line and the Centres d’abandon du tabagisme (quit-smoking centres) for getting personalized support provided by advisors trained in smoking cessation.

Since 2000, close to 295,000 people have participated in the Challenge. Of that number, according to various surveys carried out,* on average 2 participants out of 3 successfully met the challenge of not smoking for 6 weeks, and nearly 25% of them are still non-smokers after 1 year. This is an excellent success rate for this type of campaign.

The success of the Quit to Win! Challenge is based on a huge partnership involving a large number of organizations and players. Whether it be the many partners who invest, each in its way, in the campaign or the organizations who promote the Challenge with their employees, everyone concerned makes it possible for the Quit to Win! Challenge to make an impact right across Québec.

The Quit to Win! Challenge is an initiative of ACTI-MENU, carried out in partnership with a number of public and private organizations, including the Québec Ministry of Health and Social Services, the Québec Public Health Departments, the Canadian Cancer Society, Jean Coutu, Pfizer, Novartis and TELUS Health Solutions. The Québec initiative was inspired by the World Health Organization’s large-scale international Quit & Win challenge, which originated in Finland.

For more information, get in touch with Mylène Khalil at 514 985-2466, ext. 242, or at mkhalil@actimenu.ca.

*According to the evaluation reports produce d in 2005 by Dr. Mauricio Gómez-Zamudio of the Montreal Public Health Department.