The local health unit is upping the ante to encourage smokers to snuff the habit.
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is hoping smokers will end the summer by trying to quit with the First Week Challenge Contest, presented by the Canadian Cancer Society.
The health unit says all smokers have to do is quit smoking for the first full week in September, and eligible participants can be eligible for a $500 cash reward. They will also have access to the Smokers' Helpline if they need help in keeping their butts grounded.
“Many people want to quit smoking, but need the type of support provided through Smokers’ Helpline," says Senior Coordinator Zoë Siskos in a press release. "Many people have to quit, and quit again, so having a monthly challenge means that they can keep entering until they have quit smoking for good.”
Quitting smoking is certainly not easy, with cravings and withdrawal symptoms very common after the first week. However, the health unit says once smokers clear that first-week hurdle, they are nine times more likely to be successful in kicking the habit.
Health benefits to quitting smoking are almost instantaneous, says the health unit. Pulse and heartbeat return to normal within 20 minutes after the last cigarette, and within 24 hours the likelihood of a heart attack starts to drop and breathing becomes easier.
The First Week Challenge Contest is offered in September because it is the second most-popular month, after January, to try quitting. With school starting, September is considered a fresh start for students and parents alike.
Windsor-Essex residents can enter the contest through August 31 by calling the Smokers' Helpline at 1-877-513-5333, or by clicking here.