Taiwan John Tung Foundation is hosting a country-wide smoking cessation contest for smokers who want to quit smoking and possibly win a super lottery of NT 600,000 and more (www.quitandwin.org.tw). Quit&Win is an international smoking cessation contest for adults. Smokers from all over the world will try to quit smoking or using tobacco products for at least a four-week period in May 2006. After the contest period the winners are drawn among the participants. Potential winners undergo tests to verify their abstinence.
Eligibility:
The participants have to be at least 18 years of age and current daily smokers for a year. Users of smokeless tobacco are also eligible.
You either are citizens of Taiwan OR have been living in Taiwan for no less than a year.
To register for the Q and W contest, a smoker needs to couple with a non-smoking witness (can be a relative, friend, colleauge…etc) who will verify the abstinence of the participating smoker, as a participating unit for the contest. The prize will be awarded as a team for both smoker and witness.
The competition period is four weeks starting from May 2th to May 29th.
Registration Dateline:
The participants must send the entry form to local organizer no later than April 30, 2006.
Participants who have completely abstained from smoking and tobacco for at least four weeks after the quit date are eligible for the prizes. The draw will take place among the participants. The winner candidates will be contacted immediately after the contest period. The abstinence is verified by a witness and a biochemical test. The Taiwan Super Prize, is NT 600,000, another six 60,000 NT prizes will also award to successful participants who have quitted smoking during the whole month. The international super prize, USD 10.000 and six regional prizes of USD 2.500 will be drawn among the main prize winners of each country. The probability to win is proportional to the number if participants in each country. Participants are also required to cooperate with the one year later follow-up survey to assess the abstinence rates by the Quit&Win country organizers.
How to register:
Register online at www.quitandwin.org.tw (sorry only in Mandarin, find someone to help you if you have problems with the language)
You can also download the register form and fax to (02)2752-7274; Furture information please call : 02- 27766133 -104(Miss Lin)
Basically, we believe people will attend this activity in good faith which means non-smokers should be attending this activity as a witness not as smoker. Given the fact that there are 4 millions smokers in Taiwan, anyone literally know someone who is a smoker. You basically express your concern of a friend’s health by inviting him/her to attend this activity.
And if you’re luck enough, you might win 300,000 NT(half of the 600,000 will go to the witness).
Scientifically, there are biological makers to tell if you are a smoker. As far as the study I am working on, I can actually tell if you are “living” with a smoker by examing the volume of nicotine in your hair.
If you live with a smoker, the concentration of nicotine in your hair(also in your blood, body…) could be 10 times or higher in comparision to someone who lives in a smoke free environment. Before, we only know that smoking kills, now well-established scientific evidence has proved that Secondhand smoke also kills…The death toll caused by Secondhand smoke in Taiwan is 2,000 people…(19,000 people die of smoking) according to our health statistics. And, more furious is more than 25 billions NT dollars profit is generated from these deaths…by tobacco industry…We all pay for it, in Taiwan with universal health insurance coverage which pays for smoking caused diseases…up to 36-40 billions NT a year(10% of our overall medical cost)…
Exactly, so why doesn’t Taiwan make the obvious choice of taxing cigerettes? Australia and UK have now banned smoking in public places (indoor)… In Taiwan however smoking is still shamelessly promoted. Until the government takes a firm stance I think you’re fighting up uphill battle…but good on you for trying :bravo: