NEWS FROM NO SMOKING DAY

Kick the habit the social way this year with WeQuit™ -

Brought to you by No Smoking Day 2010

National charity No Smoking Day is taking a modern approach to help people finally kick the habit in 2010, with their launch of WeQuit™

Available now at www.WeQuit.co.uk/facebook, WeQuit allows you to create rewards for success, forfeits for failure, or even try and raise money for charity with a sponsored quit. However you choose to motivate the attempt, WeQuit uses the power of Facebook to help make quitting fun.

Surveys show that over 2 million smokers are ready to stub it out for good on No Smoking Day, Wednesday March 10th 2010. Quitting is never easy, but with friends around to help you through the toughest times, staving off the cravings needn’t be a nightmare. We might like to deny it, but we’re all a bit conscious about how we look on Facebook, which is what makes WeQuit such an effective aid: Choose a challenge, tell your friends, then stick to it!

Quitting smoking can often feel like a negative action, and with this in mind the emphasis was to create something that makes giving up smoking fun. Below is a list of some of things WeQuit can do:

Choose a length ­– Giving up smoking forever can be a daunting thought, so with WeQuit you choose the length of the challenge, whether it be a week, a month, or even just a day.

Challenge your friends – You don’t have to be a smoker to use WeQuit, you just have to know one. Encourage someone you know to ditch the habit by enticing them with a personalized challenge.

Bet you can’t – Motivate your mates with some light competition, with rewards for success, or forfeits for failure!

Quit for good – Perfect for spurring on an ethically-minded friend, you can sponsor a quit by pledging to give money to charity if they succeed.

Head to Head - Go up against a mate to see who can quit the longest, spicing it up with a reward for the winner (or a forfeit for the loser…)

Get involved – Keep friends on track with encouraging comments (or a nudge for that cheeky Friday night fag) by posting photos and comments onto their Wall of Fame and Shame.

Track your progress – Unlock secret medals, see how your friends are getting on, and share your WeQuit challenge progress with your mates.

Duncan Bannatyne OBE, President of No Smoking Day, commented: “We feel that quitting is a challenge that should be inspiring and enjoyable rather than a chore, and it’s this attitude that makes WeQuit unique.”

Check out the application now at www.quitclub.co.uk/facebook. Choose your challenge, get your friends involved, and get ready for March 10th, when No Smoking Day 2010 kicks off and the WeQuit Challenge officially begins.

[Ends]

Notes to editors

No Smoking Day is organised by a charity of the same name run by four full time staff. Based in London, the charity is funded by a coalition of governmental and voluntary sector organisations with an interest in health.

No Smoking Day aims to help people who want to stop smoking by creating a supportive environment for them, and by highlighting the many sources of help available to people who want to quit.

Now in its 27th year it is a firm fixture in the UK calendar because of its popularity amongst smokers and continued success. Three quarters of smokers would like to stop and on No Smoking Day over a million try. No Smoking Day isn't just about the second Wednesday in March. Stopping smoking requires much planning, encouragement, support and motivation. Helping others to prepare to quit can be done year round, but the Day provides an excellent focus and motivation for many smokers to stop.

Full quotes below:

“No Smoking Day has always encouraged smokers to work together and focus on one day to decide to make the change and quit. WeQuit makes this possible all year round by using the power of Facebook to keep those around you involved, make quitting more fun, more social and more accountable than ever before We feel that quitting is a challenge that should be inspiring and enjoyable rather than a chore, and it’s this attitude that makes WeQuit unique.”

- Duncan Bannatyne, President of No Smoking Day

“No Smoking Day for me has always been about giving people the passion and inspiration to break free of the habit together on one day, and now with WeQuit people can make the decision to quit in their own time, throughout the year. Facebook is a part of people’s everyday lives, so it’s really cool to use it to change lives. That’s what’s so exciting about WeQuit – it uses Facebook to help quitters benefit from the love of their family and friends, and break free of smoking once and for all. I can’t wait to see it making a difference out there!”

- Lemar, No Smoking Day Ambassador 2010

“In addition to the annual No Smoking Day, with WeQuit the challenge is to keep people motivated all year round, and give them the opportunity to choose their own day to quit. That’s why we’re so excited to be using Facebook to help people use the positive re-enforcement - and good humour - of family and friends to make their commitment stick. WeQuit lets you try and quit smoking at time that’s right for you, whilst still gaining the support you need from those around you to make the change happen.”

Laura Luxton No Smoking Day PR & Marketing Manager

Singer/songwriter Lemar is a two times BRIT Award winner and three times MOBO winner who continues to be one of the most popular artists in the UK. His greatest hits album 'The Hits' will be released on March 1st, including the Top 10 hits, 'Dance (With U)', 'If There's Any Justice' and 'It's Not That Easy'. The album has been preceded by the brand new single 'The Way Love Goes' which went out on February 14th.


For further information, contact Frank PR on 0207 693 7480



www.nosmokingday.org.uk