KOROR (Palau Horizon) — The Quit and Win 2002 contest organized by the Tobacco Control Program has yielded about 200 participants willing to stop using tobacco.
Valerie Whipps, program coordinator, said about 270 individuals signed up for the contest.
Those who signed up will get a chance to win the national cash prize of $2,000.
Special categories and prizes are also available for employees of the Ministry of Health, teams participating in the Micro Games 2002 and persons under 18 years of age.
The national winners will have a chance to win $2,500 in the regional prize draw and $10,000 for the international prize.
The participants who signed up will have to quit using tobacco from May 2 to 31.
Winners will be announced during the World No Tobacco Day walkathon on May 31 at the national track.
During the kick-off, Dr. Michael Meharry also talked about what the participants should expect from quitting tobacco.
Meharry said withdrawal symptoms may be experienced.
He also reminded the participants about the temptations as a result of quitting tobacco.
Whipps said to make sure that the participants have quit tobacco, the tobacco control program will call contestants to monitor participant progress.
Participants drawn as potential winners will be asked to complete a biochemical test for nicotine at the end of the month.
Participants who fail the test will be dropped from the contest.
Those who joined the contest are daily tobacco users and have used it for at least one year.
Tobacco use means those who smoke tobacco or chew betel nut with tobacco.
The international Quit and Win campaigns are endorsed by the World Health Organization and coordinated and evaluated by the National Public Health Institute in Finland.
Local prizes are provided by the tobacco control program and the breast and cervical cancer program.
