MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, partners kick off “Quit & Win” contest

CHARLESTON, SC – The Medical University of South Carolina’s (MUSC) Hollings Cancer Center and community partners have teamed up to give smokers another reason to stop smoking for today’s American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout®.  Area smokers who sign up for the Post and Courier Quit & Win Contest by January 15 and remain smoke-free for a month will be eligible to win one of two cash prizes of $1,000.  Details of the contest were announced at an event today at MUSC.

“Tobacco use is responsible for nearly one in three cancer deaths and it’s the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States. We need to do everything we can to get people who are addicted to cigarettes to stop smoking,” said Ashley Cashon of the American Cancer Society.  “The Great American Smokeout® is an annual event that has been held for 40 years, helping millions of Americans get started on their journey to stop smoking.  We encourage every smoker in the Lowcountry to lose the smoke. Do it now and you might win a grand by signing up for the Quit & Win contest.”

Smokers can sign up for the contest online at scquits.com or by mailing in the registration form that was published in today’s Post and Courier.

To enter the contest, individuals must:

• Be 18 years of age or older
• Live or work in Charleston, Berkeley, or Dorchester County, S.C.
• Be a current daily smoker who has smoked for one year or more
• Complete the registration form no later than January 15, 2016
• Not smoke between January 15 and February 13, 2016

To claim the prize money, individuals must have their nonsmoking status bio-chemically confirmed within 24 hours of notification of winning. There is no cost to register.

“We all know of family members, friends, and co-workers who have struggled to stop smoking and we’ve seen the consequences of waiting until it is too late,” said Graham Warren, M.D., a radiation oncologist and medical director for MUSC’s Tobacco Cessation Program.  “If this campaign convinces just a few people to stop smoking, it will be worth it, as the consequences of smoking are so dire.”

According to James McKenrick, president of the Smoke Free Lowcountry Coalition, a number of businesses and health organizations across the region have signed on with the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center and the Post and Courier to promote the contest, including Roper Hospital, Trident Medical Center, the Ralph Johnson VA Medical Center, the Ernest E. Kennedy Center, Heritage Trust Federal Credit Union and the American Lung Association. McKenrick said, “Working with the Trident Wellness Round Table, we’ve sent information about the contest to over 300 local businesses.  We encourage any business small or large that would like to get involved in this campaign to contact us at 843-876-2437.”

About Hollings Cancer Center

The Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina is a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center and the largest academic-based cancer research program in South Carolina. The cancer center is comprised of more than 120 faculty cancer scientists with an annual research funding portfolio of $44 million and a dedication to reducing the cancer burden in South Carolina.  Hollings offers state-of-the-art diagnostic capabilities, therapies and surgical techniques within multidisciplinary clinics that include surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation therapists, radiologists, pathologists, psychologists and other specialists equipped for the full range of cancer care, including more than 200 clinical trials. For more information, visit www.hcc.musc.edu.

About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 13,000 employees, including approximately 1,500 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $2.2 billion. MUSC operates a 750-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children’s Hospital, the Ashley River Tower (cardiovascular, digestive disease, and surgical oncology), Hollings Cancer Center (one of 69 National Cancer Institute designated centers) Level I Trauma Center and Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic information or clinical services, visit musc.edu. For more information on hospital patient services, visit muschealth.org.