CREDIT: STEPHANIE LAI
Susan Chlipala with a poster - one of many - students will see on campus, which promotes Leave The Pack Behind's contest Would U Rather.

A contest being put on by Leave The Pack Behind is just the sweet kick in the behind to get smokers to quit this year.

The prize? Up to $2,500.

Susan Chlipala is Fanshawe’s student co-ordinator heading up the campus’s Leave The Pack Behind program.

The Business Accounting graduate became involved because she was interested in taking on a new job experience.

“Everything in my past job experiences were accounting- or managing- based,” Chlipala said. “This one was a little different because it’s a health program, and I’ve never had any program in my life that was related to health.”

Chlipala says student involvement has been minimal, but she hopes the Would U Rather contest will help change that.

“Students can sign up for the contest through a booth of ours,” she said. “I [also] got involvement by doing classroom presentations … we’re hoping to get more in the New Year through the contest.”

Fanshawe Student Union’s administrative service manager Carol Balzer says involvement can increase because contest participants must sign up with an accountability buddy.

“They can also be in the contest,” she said. “You get a buddy to make sure you don’t do the smoking.”

Leave The Pack Behind is an almost 15-year-old government-funded organization present among post-secondary campuses but it only made its way into Fanshawe a few years ago.

“Instead of having nurses … they want to get students involved,” Chlipala said. “Students are not likely to go clinics unless they’re sick or they have to get the flu shot … how can you get that awareness outside of the clinic?

“That’s where we come in,” she said. “We tell them, ‘Yes there is support at clinics. Yes there are quit kits that you can use to reduce levels of nicotine or quit smoking.’ We have more support for you, we have these resources for you.”

Would U Rather is a quit smoking contest for registered students aged 18 to 28. Participants will fall under one of four categories.

Quit For Good

Regular smokers pledge to quit smoking and remain smoke-free.

Keep The Count

Regular smokers pledge to reduce their smoking by 50 per cent.

Party Without The Smoke

Regular or social smokers pledge to refrain from smoking when drinking.

Don’t Start & Win

Non-smokers or ex-smokers pledge to continue to be smokefree.

Participants have until March to comply with the rules within their respective categories. Registration ends January 25.

Chlipala is hoping to hear success stories.

“I haven’t seen success stories yet, but I have had people come to the booth and say, ‘I really want more resources on this. I have a mom/dad who I want to quit smoking but I don’t know how.’ We give them resources,” she said. “I’m hoping that will change in the New Year, when people have New Year’s resolutions.”

For more information on the contest, visit wouldurather.ca and for more information on Leave The Pack Behind, visit leavethepackbehind.org.