That shouldn't be as hard a feat as when each butted out and tried to stay smoke free for the last three months.

They are all anticipating the announcement of who will win the free trips to Mexico and the Calgary Stampede as a reward.

The quit smoking contest wrapped up on Monday following a three month quitting period and now all that remains is a draw to determine the winner.

The announcement will be made in the Great Hall of the legislative assembly Jan. 22, beginning at noon.

The ceremony will coincide with the National Non-Smoking Week's Weedless Wednesday.

Co-ordinator Rosella Stoesz said the winners will have to pass screening tests verifying they indeed stayed smoke free for the three months to receive their prize.

Verification includes a combination of the honour system, buddy reports and a medical exam.

Stoesz said that it seems the honour system has been effective.

"We had an e-mail from a person who said they had fallen off the wagon and they felt they had to tell us," she said.

An evaluation will be conducted over the next few weeks to determine how the contest can be improved for next year, or, even, if there will be another campaign.

"It's still too early to tell. I think there is support for something like it," said Stoesz.

She expects that if a campaign is run again next year it will take on a slightly different form.

"I think it went well given the scope of what we were trying to do, doing it territory wide and including adults and teens," she said.

The contest exceeded its goals for the number of participants, but she said they would have liked to see more of the smaller communities participate.

In total, 24 of the 33 Northern communities were involved.

"We would like to be present in more communities," she said.

"It's hard to get the message out there."

Heather MacKeen, of Yellowknife, was one of the contest's participants and said it worked for her.

A smoker for over 30 years, she hasn't had a puff since the contest began on Oct. 1.

"I think it (the contest) gave that extra little incentive to quit," she said.

To help alleviate the stress associated with quitting she won a massage as an interim prize.

However, she said, the quitting process wasn't that difficult this time.

"I have quit a number of times over the years. This time was just the right time, everything went smoothly," said MacKeen.