Evolution of Quit & win Program Carried Through 2002 Year in FB & H

UNLABELLED
World Health Organization (WHO) in cooperation with National Public Health Institute of Finland carried through Quit & Win program 2002. People from all over the world try to abstain from smoking or using tobacco products for a four-week period, from 2-29 May. FB&H took part in this campaign. Quit & Win-2002 program was an optional contest for health professionals. The purpose of this paper is to present the participant's characteristic towards age, gender, education, tobacco consumption and previous attempts to quit.


RESULTS
the research encompassed 81 health professionals. Among them 71% were women. The highest participation rates on average where found in the 45-54 year group (29.7%). The most of participants were health professionals with middle school education (81%). Only 5% of the participants were physicians. The great number of health professionals (47.5%) smoked between 1-9 years. Research shows that 61% of participants were passionate smokers who smoked more than 14 cigarettes a day. Out of 81 participants 42 medical workers has never tried to stop smoking. Research shows that smoking habit is very spread among medical workers and it follows the general state in population. It's surprising because we expect that health worker must be role model of the healthy life.


Introduction
Quit &Win is smoking cessation contest for adults.Contest for promoting quitting were originally used in some US health campaigns in the early s.Th e National Public Health Institute of Finland (KTL) applied Quit &Win as a cessation method for the fi rst time in Finland in  and organized the fi rst international contest in .Quit &Win has rapidly grown in popularity as a practical international smoking cessation action.This is likely to be due to Quit &Win unique, positive approach to a problem that is receiving increasing attention world wide as the truly major health threat.() Quit &Win  competition was an optional contest for health professionals.This program encourages health professionals to act as role models in relation to smoking cessation.FB&H joined the international Quit &Win  network.FB&H has made its own competition including: recruiting smokers, information activities, obtain prizes and other tasks.() Th e international core components of the program include the campaign timetable, common rules, international promotional materials and standardized follow-up procedures.Th e common rules were: Th e competition take place in May  with the actual quit date on  May .Th e requested abstinence period lasts four weeks.The criteria for participant were: At least  years age, a current daily smoker and history of daily smoking of at least one year before the contest.The participant must fill in the entry form no later than the quit day.The national/regional winners will be drawn after the abstinence period of four weeks.Th e abstinence is verifi ed by biochemical test.After the national winners have been chosen, an international super prize of US   and six regional prizes of US  will be drawn among the winners of each country.

Methods
Quit &Win  competition took place in May  with actual quit date on  May .Participants were selected among voluntary applied medical workers.Each participant must fill in the entry form (model WHO).Scientific analysis was prepared on the base of entry form for participant.
Observing variables were: Gender Age group: -, -, -, -, - years Tobacco consumption (present smoking-times per day): -, more than  Previous attempts to quit: none; - times;  or more Years of smoking: -; -;  or more Years school altogether or studied full-time:  years, - years,  or more

Results
The research encompassed  medical workers.The vast majority of Quit &Win participants were women (.).Graph .The results showed that all age groups were reached by the campaign, but the highest  BOSNIAN JOURNAL OF BASIC MEDICAL SCIENCES 2005; 5 (1): 77-80 participation rates on average where found in the - year age group.Graph .Th e most of participants were health professionals with middle school education ().Only  of the participants were physicians.() Graph .Th e great number of health professionals (.) smoked between - years.Research shows that  of participants were passionate smokers who smoked more than  cigarettes a day.Among them were . female smokers and . male smokers.It is surprising that . of the participants belonging to the sample had never tried to stop smoking before.Graph 

Discussion
Quit&Win is a cost-eff ective evidence based smoking cessation method for population-wide public health use that also supports more broadly national tobacco control work.Th e Quit&Win campaigns use innovative communication methods, partnership, community organization and health service involvement.Th e Quit&Win model has proven to be applicative in diff erent cultures all over the world.International Quit&Win campaigns have been carried out every other year since . countries and   participants took part in the Quit&Win contest in the year .During Quit&Win  there have also been an optional contest for health professionals.The goal is to get health professionals to stay tobacco free and this way become more motivated to act as role models and obtain better skills to do anti-tobacco work with their patients.International Quit&Win contests have rapidly grown in popularity as a practical international smoking activity.Quit&Win began in  with  countries participating.Since then, the competition taken place internationally every other year. with  countries, in  with over   participants involved from  countries and in  some   participants in  countries.A total of  medical workers in FB&H are participated in Quit&Win program .Th e vast majority of participants were women.It is in the line with the high percentage of women in structure of medical workers in FB&H.Th e highest participation rates on average where found in the - year age group.The participants in that age group have been traditionally the most successful quitters.Th ey had already health harmful smoking consequences.Th e most important reason to quit was in connection with prevention of serious diseases.Behaviour of medical workers is surprising in consideration of their knowledge of harmful eff ects of smoking.() We are expecting from them to take a leadership in creating safe and healthy environments and responsibility for own and patient's health.After carried campaign Quit &Win  we compared gained results with results Quit &Win carried through  years.There were not essential differences.Widen smoking habits among medical workers follow the general state in population.Th ere are no essential diff erences in prevalent of smoking among medical workers and prevalent of smoking in population of B&H.During the whole year following the Quit&Win campaign - of the participants have stayed completely smoke-free.But also the other participants learnt for their next attempt.Th at campaign contains positive message for smokers.The great number of smokers (-) wants to quit.Many have tried several times but often lack the support and impetus needed to abstain from tobacco consumption.Th us Quit &Win off ers help to smokers who want to quit.The winners of the international prizes were drawn in Cyprus on the th June .Th e winner of super prize of US   is the fi rst prize winner of the contest in Quebec, Canada.Th e six regional prizes of US  went to Mauritius, Iran, Germany, Cuba, Indonesia and China.Th e international prize for the health professional, s contest went to Lithuania.Possibility to win prizes has a positive appeal, and a large campaign gives encouraging support.Even if the person does not win in the draw, every successful quitter wins health.

Conclusion
Quit &Win program is a positive and cost-eff ective way to reduce smoking among the population.Success rates in stopping smoking are lower than with very intensive and personal methods, but a much wider audience is reached and at a much lower cost.Follow-up studies have showed that after one year on an average one fi fth of the participants have remained smoke-free constantly since the beginning of the Quit &Win contest.Th e program helps to build broad national coalitions and trends to draw positive media attention.Th e campaign is also a concrete channel for large international health collaboration, which is necessary considering the global nature of marketing eff orts of the tobacco industry.()