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For Immediate Release
Spread the Word: Quitting Smoking is Contagious
The Lung Association Encourages Smokers to “Catch the Quit”
for World No Tobacco Day, May 31
May 12, 2010 – George and Diane Moffat smoked for many years together --more than 74 years combined. So it’s no surprise that when the time came, they decided to quit together as well. “We relied on and continue to rely on each other for motivation and support,” says Diane.
Researchers have found that quitting smoking together, like the Moffats, is contagious. People are more likely to butt out for good when people in their social circle do the same, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
To celebrate World No Tobacco Day on May 31st, The Canadian Lung Association wants to spread the contagion of quitting.
“We’re asking smokers or those who have already quit smoking to tap into their social networks, by sending an encouraging message with a “Catch the Quit” e-card.
We’ve also created a Twibbon, a small logo that people can attach to their Twitter profile image, so that they can flag to their followers that quitting smoking is important to them,” says Heather Borquez, CEO and president of The Canadian Lung Association.
More than 90 per cent of the estimated five million current Canadian smokers would like to quit, according to “Making Quit Happen: Canada's Challenges to Smoking Cessation,” a ground-breaking report from the Canadian Lung Association released in 2008. For the 79 per cent of smokers who have tried to quit, an average of six quit attempts were reported.
Celebrate a Quitter on Twitter!
Share your decision to quit, or your support, through a variety of tools offered by The Canadian Lung Association. Send an e-card to encourage loved ones to quit smoking by visiting www.lung.ca. Follow @canlung on Twitter for tips and information on how to catch the quit. This World No Tobacco Day could be the start to a healthier you, so catch the quit and pass it on.
About World No Tobacco Day
World No Tobacco Day was created in 1987 by the World Health Organization to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes. It is celebrated around the world every year on May 31st.
About The Lung Association
Established in 1900, The Canadian Lung Association is one of Canada’s oldest and most respected health charities, and the leading national organization for science-based information, research, education, support programs, and advocacy on lung health issues. For more information visit www.lung.ca.
Year of the Lung
2010 has been declared the Year of the Lung, by the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS). The goal of this global campaign is to raise awareness about lung health among the public, initiate action in communities worldwide, and advocate for resources to combat lung disease including increased investment in basic, clinical and translational research worldwide.
Get help to quit smoking from QuitNow Services.
Send an e-card to encourage your friends to quit or tell friends that you're quitting yourself.
Get a “Catch the Quit” Twibbon.
This program was made possible through an educational grant from Pfizer Canada Inc.
About Pfizer in Canada
Pfizer Canada Inc. is the Canadian operation of Pfizer Inc, the world's leading biopharmaceutical company. Pfizer discovers, develops, manufactures and markets prescription medicines for humans and animals. Pfizer’s ongoing research and development activities focus on a wide range of therapeutic areas following our guiding aspiration… Working together for a healthier world.
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For additional information, please contact:
Janis Hass
The Canadian Lung Association
613- 569-6411 ext. 252
jhass@lung.ca
Jacqueline Zonneville
NATIONAL Public Relations
416-848-1398
jzonneville@national.ca