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BY CHRIS TRABER Quitters never win Win ners never quit That sage axiom applies to everything in life except tobacco Whether you smoke chew or snuff the stuff first popularized in the 1400s youre rolling the dice More than 45000 Canadians will die prematurely this year due to tobacco use says Health Canada Its the leading preventable cause of death globally claiming 54 mil lion people per year according to the World Health Organization The average smoker will die about eight years earlier than a similar non- smoker both agencies foretell National NonSmoking Week beginning Sunday through Jan with Weedless Wednesday wedged in between serves to educate Cana dians about the dangers of smoking prevent nonsmokers from starting and help smokers quit The events message and 2010 slogan Quitting is contagious pass it on isnt lost on Richmond Hill print executive Fred Numberger Father to a pair of adult sons and a 15yearold daughter he didnt have his first puff until he was 23 After a Jr A hockey career and a university hockey scholarship he worked fulltime Four decades ago the stigma and risks of cigarettes were under the radar I started because everyone else did and I enjoyed it he said You could smoke anywhere I quit once for a year on a bet in 82 WHERE TO FIND HELP Its such a dumb habit I drive the 401 in 20C weather with all the car windows open How stupid is that Into his 50s and still athletic he kept the habit but felt the effects I was having problems with my lungs and wind he said Still he like five million other Canadians was a slave to highly addictive nicotine one of the main ingredients in tobacco and a central nervous system stimulant classified as a drug For Mr Numberger it was his daughter who provided the inspira tion to butt out It was my then 14year daugh ter Courtney She said Dad you need to quit because youre going have be available for my wedding Youre going to walk me down the aisle and it isnt going to be in a wheelchair and oxygen tank That was a year ago April and it hit home The impetus to drop highly For a free eightstep quitting brochure call Health Connection The Smokers Helpline 87751 3- 5333 or visit smokershelplineca National NonSmoking Week visit nnswca For York Region programs visit and search tobacco Cancer Sotiety Information 1888 3333 Week days 9 am to To learn how you an quit and win prizes visit arsenic a lethal poison cadmium used in batteries polonium 20 a radioactive element and car bon monoxide found in exhaust fumes habitforming nicotine comes in many forms York Region tobacco program clinical nurse specialist Rosemary Lamont said Her community and health ser vices department is a staunch advo cate of being smokefree and spon sor of Driven to Quit in conjunction with nonsmoking week Wanting to quit takes concert ed support and strategy because of tobaccos powerful physical and psychological addiction she said With each cigarette a smoker inhales acetone a solvent cyan- acid used in gas chambers Most people wantto quit but dont realize what a tenacious addiction it is If it doesnt eventually kill you it most certainly diminishes your health Ms Lamont regrettably knows too well Both her parents died young of tobaccorelated illness her mother from lung cancer and her father from cardiovascular disease This work is very important for me she said Most people want to quit but dont realize what a tena cious addiction it is The first step is wanting to quit she said Next she recommends is talking to your doctor or pharma cist There are a number of helpful nicotine replacement therapies and other aids ranging from patches gums mints inhalers and phar maceuticals designed to ease with drawal Quitting nicotine is almost as big an industry as tobacco In addition to laser acupuncture and hypnosis treatments there are plenty of self- help books CDs and DVDs Theres also some odd options including the patented Electronic Smoking Inhibiting Device You use a specially modified cig arette packet hooked up to a battery and an electrode to give yourself a shock each time you take a ciga rette Or how about the patented Firing Device for Cigarette Package which detonates an explosive cap when a cigarette is removed from the package Along with the support of a quit buddy professional advice and the right combination of cessation aids Ms Lamont recommends hav ing a plan and committing to a quit date On average people make five to seven attempts before theyre suc cessful she said With every quit attempt youll get better at it Unionville investment specialist Craig Benson a former multiple Canadian junior squash champion began smoking decades ago It was cool to do he said Do I think about quitting Every day and I fail miserably He offers a novel tact to make people stop lighting up Id proceed by endorsing outra geous rents of all the little corner stores until they all go out of busi ness and I wont be able to buy cigarettes Besides its such a dumb habit I drive the 401 in 20C weath er with all the car windows open How stupid is that February OVER 200 OOO IN BRAND NEW FITNESS EQUIPMENT MU Gorham St Unit Newmarket Certain conditions apply DavtsC