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Urging people to leave pack behind
Government hoping smokers will take part in new contest and quit

Myles Dolphin
Northern News Services
Published Monday, February 10, 2014

NUNAVUT
In the midst of a three-year project to promote tobacco-free lifestyles in Nunavut, the territorial government is banking on its latest anti-smoking campaign and contest to encourage smokers to break free from their unhealthy habits.

This year's initiative, Time to Quit, asks residents to sign up for a tobacco-free March, along with a quit buddy, for the chance to win different prizes. It follows last year's Steps for Change challenge in which Nunavummiut were invited to sign challenge cards to show the steps they were taking to stop smoking.

Tobacco reduction specialist Heather Selin said earlier this month that more than 200 people have signed up so far for the upcoming contest, and they expect a lot more entries after registration forms are sent to every household in the territory.

"We think we will get a lot more entries because of the bigger prizes this year," she said, referring to $20,000 worth of travel passes, 12 laptops and 16 iPads.

Highest rate of smokers

Nunavut has the highest rate of smokers in the country, with approximately 60 per cent of residents who smoke, according to a 2011 report by Statistics Canada.

That's approximately three times the national average of 19.9 per cent.

Tarrah Kelly has been a sporadic smoker for 14 years. She's managed to quit twice - once for three years and once for one year - and said pharmacotherapy was very helpful for her.

"I tried Champix and that was great," she said, referring to the brand name for varenicline, a prescription medication used to treat smoking addiction.

Selin said more than 90 per cent of people who quit smoking do so on their own and she is hoping more people take advantage of the territory's 24-hour quit line for moral support.

Registration ends Feb. 28 for the Time to Quit contest, which runs for the entire month of March.

The prize draw will be held on April 14 in Iqaluit.

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