5 tips to get ready to crush
Is quitting smoking one of your New Year's resolutions? That's good, because the Quit, I Win! Challenge is back to help you get rid of your ashtray. Here are five tips to prepare for the challenge, in this tobacco-free Quebec week.
1. Register
Obviously, it's always a good time to try to quit smoking, but by registering for the Quit, I'm Winning Challenge, we have a better chance of succeeding thanks to the various help and support tools that are available to us.
“Registration is free, it only takes a few minutes and it gives access to a wide range of tools,” explains Alexandre Chagnon, pharmacist, director of the digital health nanoprogram at Laval University and spokesperson for the Challenge. people who register will have access to useful resources and will have the chance to win the grand prize of $5000 in cash which will be drawn among the participants who will have succeeded in quitting smoking during the six weeks of the challenge. ;
Tobacco Free Dates
From January 15 to January 21, 2023, the Week for a Tobacco-Free Quebec takes place.
And from February 6 to March 19, the 24th edition of the Défi J’stop, j’y won will be held! Its objective: to help smokers stop smoking for a period of six weeks. Prizes are offered to certain participants who will complete the crush challenge.
2. Talk to your pharmacist
Your pharmacist can help you throughout your preparation and when you stop. Do not hesitate to consult him beforehand to obtain advice or to be prescribed the medication you may need.
“These consultations are covered by insurance and really allow us to put the odds on our side to be able to stop for good this year, underlines the spokesperson. We have been lucky in Quebec, for a few years now, that pharmacists can prescribe all the drugs that help people quit smoking.”
3. Plan
A challenge of this size cannot be prepared the day before. The process can begin a few weeks in advance if you are taking certain medications prescribed by your pharmacist to help you during the six weeks. So a little planning never hurts!
“If you start to quit smoking on February 6, the pharmacist can prescribe certain medications two to three weeks before so that the medication is returned to the correct dose on the day of the cessation.”
< p>Also, a spring cleaning is in order before starting this new era.
“Doing a big cleaning of the house, putting the ashtrays aside, it helps to start off on the right foot in relation to smoking cessation,” explains the pharmacist.
4. Take advantage of technology
Yes, in the age of the Internet, many digital tools exist to help participants during their journey.
“For example, on the Challenge website, defitabac.ca, there is a link to an online community on Facebook that numbers more than 20,000 people. Most of them have already quit smoking in previous editions of the Challenge and are there to give tips. Also on the site, mobile applications are offered to help manage stress in particular. This is the first year that the Challenge has offered applications like this to the public,” says the program director.
5. Surround yourself well
The last tip – and not the least – is to mobilize your loved ones before starting the challenge. Talking about it beforehand will help you find support in your process.
“We know that having had this discussion allows people around us to give us help and support. encourage us. It’s proven, when we talk about it, we have a better chance of sustaining our efforts,” explains Mr. Chagnon.
