LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - Quitting smoking has had a visible reward for Shannon Cazon, in the form of a laptop.

Karen Simon, left, a community health representative with Dehcho Health and Social Services, presents Shannon Cazon of Fort Simpson with the laptop she won through the NWT Quit Smoking Contest. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Cazon, 23, of Fort Simpson, started smoking as a result of peer influence approximately three years ago. To get a break from work she'd go outside with her co-workers who were smokers and before she realized it, Cazon said, she'd started smoking too.

Cazon described herself as a social smoker. She'd normally smoke while at the bar with friends. Cazon had tried quitting before but took smoking back up as a result of stress.

Cazon's reaction to smoking changed in March.

From March 1 to 4 Cazon attended the Mackenzie Regional Youth Conference in Fort Providence as a chaperone for Fort Simpson students. At the conference Cazon said she constantly found herself chasing students back to their sessions after they went outside for a smoke break.

"It was non-stop," she said.

Cazon also started to think about the example she was setting as a smoker. The students catch on pretty fast that you're going out to smoke, she said.

"After that I changed my mind," said Cazon.

As part of the event, the Mackenzie Regional Youth Conference sponsored the NWT Quit Smoking Contest in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Services. Students who entered had the chance to win a laptop – the catch was that they had to quit smoking by March 10 and remain smoke free until May 31. Cazon signed up.

To quit, Cazon went cold turkey. Because she was only a casual smoker Cazon said it wasn't that hard.

"It feels 10 times better," she said.

"My lungs are cleaner."

Cazon was already a runner before she quit, but afterwards she got more involved in the activity. Three to four times a week, Cazon does two circuits around the island. The route used to take her 1.5 hours but she's shaved half an hour off her time since quitting.

In addition to winning a healthier lifestyle, Cazon was drawn as the grand prize winner of the contest. To verify she'd quit smoking Cazon was tested for cotinine, a by-product of nicotine breakdown in the body.

On June 24, after the test came back clean, Cazon was presented with a new laptop by Karen Simon, a community health representative with Dehcho Health and Social Services.

Cazon, who didn't have a laptop before, is planning on taking her prize with her when she leaves on July 11 on a Canada World Youth exchange for six months to Tanzania, Africa. Cazon said the laptop will help her keep in contact with her family.

Cazon has one message for smokers who are thinking about quitting.

"It's not easy but it's worth it," she said.

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