Sudbury Northern Life
Beautiful wall-hung quilts depicting what it means to quit smoking were on display at the Sudbury & District Health Unit in Sudbury on Dec. 11.
The quilts were assembled using more than 100 squares created by people from across northeastern Ontario who have quit smoking, or by those whose lives have been touched by another person's decision to be smoke-free.
"Wherever these quilts are displayed, they will symbolize and recognize people's efforts to be smoke-free and serve as a visual reminder that a smoke-free life is a real possibility," said Leila Tikkanen Pilon, regional co-ordinator of the North East Tobacco Control Area Network (TCAN).
In partnership with the North East TCAN, the Sudbury & District Health Unit had encouraged people to embark on a Quit Quilt Contest. To date, quilts have been created in all five of the health unit areas that make up the Tobacco Control Area Network.
As part of the quilt showing, people who have quit smoking also shared their cessation experiences, including Dianna Watson of Copper Cliff, the grand prize winner of the Driven to Quit 2008 Challenge.
In addition, the Canadian Cancer Society shared details about the Driven to Quit 2009 Challenge and Smoker's Helpline. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health shared information about its upcoming Stop on the Road cessation workshops.
Tobacco use is the number one cause of preventable disease and death in Ontario, killing more than 13,000 people each year. There are more than 1.7 million smokers in Ontario over the age of 15. Almost half of them made a serious attempt to quit over the course of a year.
To learn about services to help people quit smoking contact the Sudbury & District Health Unit at 522-9200 ext. 383.
