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Smoke-free lifestyle has its benefits Sanikiluaq resident one of three winners in territorial photo contest
Myles Dolphin
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, June 5, 2013
SANIKILUAQ
Sarah Meeko will get to enjoy her new iPad for the next few years but she'll be reaping the benefits of a smoke-free lifestyle until the end of her days.
Sarah Meeko from Sanikiluaq is one of three winners in the Being Here Makes Me Want To Be Smoke Free contest. - photo courtesy of Sarah Meeko
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The Sanikiluaq resident was recently chosen as one of three winners in the Being Here Makes Me Want To Be Smoke Free contest, which encouraged Nunavummiut to send in photos of places or people that motivated them to quit and avoid smoking.
Meeko's submission – Summer Camping – is a picture she took in 2001, the year she quit smoking after 21 years. The idyllic campsite in the photo is located approximately 60 kilometres southeast of Sanikiluaq, one of her favourite spots to visit with her relatives.
She said she was motivated to submit the picture because she doesn't want others to go through what she did.
"My mother died of lung cancer and that played a big part in my decision to quit smoking," she said.
"It really sucks when you have to watch a relative suffer from a sickness brought on by smoking. I feel guilty because I used to buy her cigarette packs but it's important to live a long life, not to be in the hospital trying to survive."
Meeko who will turn 50 in July, is thankful for all the activities she can do now, ones that smoking used to prevent her from taking part in. It's a lot easier to keep up with people, too, she added.
"When you're healthy and smoke-free you have a lot more fun," she said. "I used to worry about breathing problems. I couldn't catch my breath when I walked up a hill but now I can, and I've saved a lot of money from not buying cigarettes anymore."
Despite the fact that her two youngest children are smokers, Meeko said she keeps encouraging them to kick the habit.
"I tell them they'd save a lot of money if they quit and they'd be able to afford what they want!" she said.
Whenever she goes back to that campsite, she'll always be reminded of how grateful she is to be able to live a healthier, longer life, she said.
The photos submissions were divided by region and assigned a number. The winners were chosen using a random number generator according to Paige Marshall, health promotions specialist with the Department of Health.
"We weren't really caught up with picture quality," she said of the entries.
"It's all about participation. This year we decided to do something new, to coincide with having over 5,000 fans on our Facebook page."
Meeko said she had always wanted an iPad but could never afford one, as they are considerably more expensive in Sanikiluaq.
The contest, part of the territorial Department of Health's Tobacco Has No Place Here campaign, began May 1 and ended May 31, World No Tobacco Day.
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