The Quit to Win! Challenge is a major provincial campaign that supports smokers who want to quit smoking. Dynamic, positive, and based on mutual help and respect, the Challenge invites smokers to butt out for at least six weeks, from March 1 to April 11, with the help of a non-smoking sponsor or a team-mate who wants to quit smoking too.

The Challenge offers participants:

• a free support kit available at PJC Jean Coutu branches
• a Web site (QuitChallenge.ca) with information, tips, tools and a motivating virtual community
• a series of encouraging emails exclusive to participants
• the chance to win prizes

The Quit to Win! Challenge is clearly a success in terms of participation rates. Since the Challenge’s beginnings in 2000, over 276,000 people have registered for it and have taken action to show tobacco the door. It has also been shown that the Quit to Win! Challenge has a significant impact on quitting. The proof: surveys* show that on average two out of three participants succeed in not smoking for six weeks and that 25% are still non-smokers after one year. This is an excellent success rates for this type of campaign.

The success of the Quit to Win! Challenge is in part based on a partnership with organizations and stakeholders that support the Challenge and bring it to their communities. Workplaces are also invited, via promotional material developed for them, to promote the Challenge among their employees to encourage them to register and adopt healthy habits. Finally, the many Quit to Win! Challenge partners have contributed to its success by showing their interest, mobilizing and supporting it in their environment.

The Quit to Win! Challenge is an initiative of ACTI-MENU, a company associated with the Prevention Division of the Montreal Heart Institute. It is carried out in partnership with a number of public and private organizations, including the Québec Ministry of Health and Social Services, Québec Public Health Departments, the Canadian Cancer Society, Jean Coutu, Pfizer, Novartis and TELUS Health Solutions. The Quebec campaign was inspired by the WHO’s international challenge, Quit & Win, originally developed in Finland, which has been taking place in a number of countries since 1994.

For more information, contact Mylène Khalil at 514 985-2466, ext. 242 or at mkhalil@actimenu.ca.


* According to 2005 evaluation reports by Dr. Mauricio Gómez-Zamudio of the Direction de santé publique de Montréal.