QUIT NOW INDIANA CESSATION CONTEST EXTENDED!

In the wake of an “overwhelming” response by employers interested in helping employees to stop using tobacco, state health officials are extending the deadline to enter the “Quit Now Indiana” stop smoking contest – which offers a top prize of $2,500. 

Originally set to end on August 23rd, Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Agency announced that the deadline for contest entries is being extended to Sept. 30th. To qualify for the prize money, a person pledges to quit using tobacco for the entire month of October. Once the winners names are drawn randomly they will be tested for tobacco use.  Second and third place winners will receive $1,500 and $1,000, respectively.

Entrants must be at least 18 years of age, legal residents of Indiana, and regular users of tobacco. To submit an entry, participants are encouraged to go online at www.quitnowindiana.com or www.INShape.IN.gov. Locally, entry boxes are available at Saint Anthony Memorial, LaPorte Hospital, and LaPorte City Hall. Or call Healthy Communities of LaPorte County at 219-326-6260 for a form.

AmeriHealth Mercy of Indiana is the presenting sponsor of the contest, providing the grand prize winners with $2,500, $1,500 and $1,000, respectively.

For added support to quit smoking, call the free Indiana Quitline at 1-800-QUITNOW. In addition to calls with trained counselors, the line offers two free weeks of nicotine replacement patches, gum, or lozenges.

Quit Now Indiana 2010 Contest

“Eligibility Requirements and Contest Rules”

The Quit Now Indiana contest is a collaboration between Indiana Tobacco Prevention and

Cessation, INShape Indiana and Indiana State Department of Health. The entry period for the

contest starts June 14, 2010, and ends September 30, 2010. The contest period starts October 1,

2010, and ends October 30, 2010. Participant(s) are defined as any person (18 years or older

and a legal resident of Indiana) who uses tobacco daily and pledges to stop using tobacco during

this period. Contest entries must be received no later than September 30, 2010. One entry allowed

per person. The winner(s) of the drawing will receive donated prizes from contest sponsors.

Participant(s) who successfully complete the 30-day quit-smoking contest will have an

opportunity to be selected in a random drawing to win designated prize(s). Participant(s)

selected in the random drawing become a potential winner(s). A potential winner is defined as

any person (18 years or older who meets all eligibility qualifications) who has participated in the

30-day quit-smoking contest.

A potential winner will be notified by a promotional representative via telephone and mail.

Once selected, a potential winner will be asked if he or she has used tobacco—even a little—

between October 1-30, 2010. A credible character reference will be asked to

verify how long the potential winner used tobacco and whether he or she has successfully

stopped using tobacco. Participant must supply a credible character reference if his or her name

is drawn. A potential winner will be required to have a urine or saliva test to further verify his or

her tobacco-free status. If that participant fails (by testing positive for traces of nicotine or

cotinine), he or she will be disqualified. Potential winner(s) who are disqualified for any reason

automatically forfeit any rights and/or ownership of named prize(s). All disqualified potential

winners will be discarded and a new name will be randomly selected to repeat the verification

process.

JOIN THE CAUSE:

Students who would like to join the Voice group as it works on tobacco-free activities are encouraged to call Safe Harbor at 219-873-2026 ext. 8740. Adults are also very welcome to join our coalition activities by calling 219-226-6260.

We further give a strong "shout out" to Voice member Shalynn, who has written a wonderful song supporting tobacco-free lifestyles. She performed it for the recent "bring a friend" council recognition meeting - to hearty applause!

INTERESTED IN A CESSATION CLASS?

After calling the free state Quitline at 1800-QUITNOW for cessation support, as a further resource for tobacco-users who want to quit, the hospital systems offer group and individual cessation classes. To register for the next session, call LaPorte Hospital Wellness Center at the Crossing at 326-2480, or Saint Anthony Memorial at 877-1557.

Who We Are

The Healthy Communities movement began in the mid-1980s, aiming to spread positive change across the country. Its ambitious goal is to measurably improve residents' health and long-term quality of life.

Healthy Communities of LaPorte County (HCLC) takes a broad view of health, forming new collaborative efforts with individual and organizational partners, and sharing resources to address unmet needs and to build stronger communities.

Our History

The group organized in late 1996 with leadership from LaPorte Regional Health System (LRHS) and LaPorte Hospital Foundation. Saint Anthony Memorial was invited to join the effort, and the two health systems continue to be major supporters of the organization.

The next year, public meetings were sponsored to introduce the Healthy Communities concept and invite participation in the process. The Healthy Communities Initiative advanced to identify unmet health-related needs.

In April of 2000 the group formed plans to expand to a countywide "quality of life" organization and recruited dozens of community leaders to help redefine its direction.

A year later, a full-time director was hired. That fall, "visioning" sessions were held throughout the county to find out what area residents felt were the most important unmet needs. At a countywide meeting in November 2001, results of these meetings and other research assessments were presented, and new priority issues were adopted for the organization.

Since its inception, the number of Healthy Communities' issue councils has quadrupled, to include the important quality of life efforts listed in the column at right.

Early Achievements

• In its early years, Healthy Communities collaborated with 13 organizations and agencies, with major contributions from LaPorte County Public Library, to develop a computer-based Community Information Resource to help people locate needed human services. You can access this database by clicking on the LaPorte County "helping services " box in the upper left corner of this page.
• HCLC also coordinated development of a dental clinic, located within Community Health Center at 400 Teegarden Street, LaPorte, to provide basic dental care for Medicaid beneficiaries, low-income and uninsured county residents.

Where We Are Now

HCLC currently focuses on the following important areas, tackling these topics through a collaborative council structure:

• Health
• Tobacco Prevention and Cessation
• Literacy
• Covering Kids & Families (Hoosier Healthwise and HIP enrollment)

The mission statement of Healthy Communities of LaPorte County is to initiate and support a dynamic community-wide change process that will enable LaPorte County residents to identify, take ownership of, and find solutions to critical issues that impact their emotional, physical and spiritual health, and hence, the overall quality of life in LaPorte County.

Call 326-6260 to find out how you can contribute to Healthy Communities' vision.