Celebrities take on challenge to quit smoking in 40 days

A sexy actress, an independent film actor, a model and a disc jockey have found something in common: they all want to quit smoking in 40 days.

Actress, comedian and television host Rica Peralejo, 25, who has starred in a number of horror films, may be going through her most horrific ordeal yet: since lighting her first stick at 19, she has lately been able to consume up to two packs of cigarettes a day.

But after realizing how she is putting her health and her life at risk, she has finally decided to kick the habit with the help of a quit-smoking advocacy campaign that will make her chew gum whenever she feels like taking a puff.

Peralejo, along with "indie" actor and director Epy Quizon, television host and model Amanda Griffin, and disc jockey and sportscaster Vitto Lazatin, has decided to declare war against the cancer stick and free herself from the habit in 40 days.

All four celebrities, at program launch at the InterContinental Hotel Manila in Makati City yesterday, announced that they have signed up for the "Kick It! Beat It!" campaign being sponsored by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare in support of the Department of Health’s (DOH) smoking cessation drive.

Peralejo said she decided to finally quit smoking after six years of being hooked to the idea that powerful women smoke and look good when they do.

"I know that it’s bad for me. I’ve been wanting to quit," she told reporters in an interview after posing with boxing gloves beside a huge punching bag made to look like a cigarette stick.

According to her, she used to be among those who ignored warnings about what smoking does to a person with the belief that "If I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die."

"This is an answered prayer talaga," Peralejo said expressing high hopes that she and her three other co-challengers will be able to quit smoking.

"Kick It! Beat It!" campaign organizers said the celebrities must show discipline and determination even as the program helps them through any expected withdrawal symptoms.

For 40 days, they will have cigarette-free days with a quit diary, where they can express their thoughts in relation to quitting, and a piggybank, where they can save the money they would have used to buy cigarettes.

During the challenge, the celebrities will have to go through regular quit-smoking checkpoints every week so their progress can be monitored as well as the level of carbon monoxide in their system.

"Special activities have been planned which will help them in the journey. They will also carry the role of spokespersons on quitting smoking," program organizers said.

And in order to help them control their cravings for nicotine, Peralejo, Quizon, Griffin, and Lazatin will also be provided a supply of Pfizer’s nicotine gum called Nicorette which is finally being made available in the Philippines.

Nicotine gum, Pfizer said, is a proven pharmacological stop-smoking aid which will help in the pharmaceutical aspect of quitting smoking.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque, in a message, said three Filipinos die from tobacco use every hour as he tagged tobacco use as a "truly grave psychosocial and medical condition."

"Being more addictive than marijuana, shabu and heroine, treatment requires non-judgmental care by a multidisciplinary team," he said.

Duque noted that the DOH is committed to promote smoking- cessation programs and announced that Philhealth will soon cover services related to the same.

Dr. John Juliar Go, program officer for the Philippines of the World Health Organization, personally briefed Peralejo and the rest of the celebrity challengers to the facts about tobacco during yesterday’s program launch.

He said tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death globally, which is currently responsible for five million deaths each year.