Celebrity Smokers’ Award Launched

Winnipeg, Canada, February 26, 2007. With half of all new smoking light-ups attributable to young people witnessing celebrity smoking, The STOP SMOKING FOR GOOD Company (STOP SMOKING FOR GOOD.com) has launched their Celebrity Smokers’ “As-A-Role-Model-We-Think-You-Stink” Award.

The monthly award is designed to draw attention to the negative impact that smoking celebrities have on young people and offer a viable solution for the “winner”.

Definitive studies, including those conducted recently at Dartmouth University, show an undeniable link between new youth light-ups and celebrities smoking on screen. One such study, involving over 6500 children aged 10 to 14, shows that up to 38% tried cigarettes because of witnessing celebrity smoking in movies.

With that powerful connection, it follows that further examples of celebrities smoking off- screen in public will serve to emphasize an even greater impact.

“Smoking on-screen has been proven to be a primary motivator to entice our young people into experimenting with cigarettes,” says Scot Fetherston, program director at The STOP SMOKING FOR GOOD Company. “That same celebrity seen smoking off-screen will certainly reinforce the association. With our “As-A-Role-Model-We-Think-You-Stink” Award, we hope to draw attention to that fact, while we publicly recognize those accountable and offer a solution to the problem.”

Fuelled by word-of-mouth, what began as a little public awareness campaign is beginning to gather steam. The “winners” of the award are elected through democratic process, with voting open to the public (one vote per day - no registration required).

Visitors to the company blog (stopsmokingforgood.blogspot.com) are presented with a choice of 10 of today’s most “in-the-spotlight” celebrity smokers – or are invited to nominate a “more deserving” celebrity smoker of their choice.

The celebrity smoker to receive the most votes each month will be publicly challenged to stop smoking for good – on and off the screen. The “winners” will also be offered a free copy of the all-new paperback: “How to STOP SMOKING FOR GOOD in 5 Days” along with an “As-A-Role-Model-We-Think-You-Stink” Award Certificate (displayed on the blog).

The STOP SMOKING FOR GOOD Company promotes public awareness of smoking cessation through campaigns like this one. They also provide up-to-date, affordable, educational, smoking cessation programs, in three accessible formats – available worldwide since 2003, through their website at: www.STOPSMOKINGFORGOOD.com

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