News and press releases

Montréal, January 26, 2017 – There are only a few days left before the end of the registration period for the 2017 edition of the Quit to Win! Challenge. As of February 6, thousands of Quebec smokers will begin, at the same time, the challenge of not smoking for 6 weeks. In addition to a good dose of motivation, they will have access to free support tools and get the chance to win a trip for 2 to Cuba. Smokers who want to butt out have until February 6 to register at quitchallenge.ca.

Because it’s worth it

The campaign’s spokesperson, Dr. Christiane Laberge, encourages all smokers to participate. “In Quebec, tobacco use causes 1 out of 6 deaths.¹ Even though the risks of smoking are no longer a secret to anyone, nearly 1.5 million Quebecers still struggle with this dependence.² The support provided by the Challenge can be of great help to participants trying to break tobacco’s hold. It’s worth a try!”

With the Challenge, this time it’s for good!

• Quitting smoking is far from easy, but with help it’s possible. Every year since its first edition in 2000, on average, 2 out of 3 participants manage to not smoke for 6 weeks, which represents more than 250,000 Quebecers that have successfully met the Challenge over 17 years!³
• It is proven that smokers who don’t smoke for 6 weeks increase by 6 their chances of quitting for good.⁴
• Participants have access to many free support tools including an online profile, encouragement emails, a calendar to track their progress during the 6 weeks of the challenge, and the Jean Coutu Quit Kit. They can also join the Facebook community for even more motivation, or get help by phone or in person through the services provided by I QUIT NOW (the iQuitnow helpline: 1-866-527-7383 and the Quit Smoking Centres).
• Two trips to Cuba, courtesy of Air Transat and the Melia Peninsula Varadero Hotel, and 5 Jean Coutu gift cards, a value of $100 each, will be drawn among the participants.

About the Quit to Win! Challenge

The Quit to Win! Challenge is a province-wide campaign that provides free support to smokers who want to quit. Created in 2000, this initiative of Capsana is in partnership with several public and private organizations, including the ministère de la Santé et des Services Sociaux, Quebec’s Directions régionales de santé publique, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Jean Coutu Group, and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare. To find out more, visit quitchallenge.ca.

About Capsana

Capsana is a social enterprise owned by the ÉPIC Foundation, which is associated with the Montreal Heart Institute, and the Fondation PSI. Its mission is to help individuals take an active role in their health. To find out more, visit capsana.ca.

^{1 Conseil québécois sur le tabac et la santé (2017). Retrieved January 20, 2017, from https://quebecsanstabac.ca/je-minforme/actualites/campagnes-mediatiques/semaine-pour-un-quebec-sans-tabac-2017.
2 Statistics Canada (2013-2014). Canadian Community Health Survey. CANSIM table 105-0502.
3 Soulard, E. & Leaune, V. (2012). Rapport provincial ‑10 ans de Défi J’arrête, j’y gagne ! Bilan de la participation et de la cessation. Direction de santé publique, Agence de la santé et des services sociaux.
4 West, R. & Stapleton, J. (2008). Clinical and public health significance of treatments to aid smoking cessation. European Respiratory Review, 17 (110), 199-204. Retrieved December 8, 2016, from http://err.ersjournals.com/content/17/110/199.}