Quit smoking and win $10,000

JAKARTA: A US$10,000 grand prize is up for grabs in a biennial quit smoking contest being organized by the Indonesian Smoking Control Foundation (LM3) and the World Health Organization's Centre of Disease Control.

The organizers hope to attract more contestants this year after successfully staging Indonesia's first 'Quit and Win' contest in 2000, when 710 people took part.

LM3 said in a press release on Thursday that the goals of the Quit and Win contest were to urge smokers to quit, popularize stop smoking campaigns and to promote the tobacco free day scheduled for May 31.

Participants, who must be over 18 years of age, can register at the LM3 secretariat on Jl. Cempaka Putih Timur 12, Central Jakarta, before May 2. Contestants must have been active smokers for at least one year. They have to quit smoking for at least four weeks beginning on May 2 under the supervision of a non- smoker.

Five contestants will be selected to undergo urine tests in Jakarta on May 31. The winner will represent Indonesia in the Quit and Win International contest against winners from 100 countries.

The international-level winner will receive $10,000, the regional-level winner $2,500 and national-level winners Rp 1 million each. -- JP