One Maltese smoker who chooses to give up could be the winner of the European Smoke Free Quitter of the Year 2008 and E15,000 (Lm6,439.50) worth of vouchers for a holiday, the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Department said in a statement to announce details of this year’s campaign.

Malta will be one of 12 participating countries that will each choose a representative to attend an award ceremony in Amsterdam in September.

Eligible participants include those who gave up smoking recently, as well as those ready to give up the habit. Participants will not be able to smoke between between 31 January (the deadline to hand in applications for the competition) and 31 June.

Every participant may also nominate a worker from the health sector who might have helped him or her quit smoking, as well as a personality that may have had an effect on the smoking policy.

Applications can be downloaded from http://sahha.gov.mt and should be sent to the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Department, 5A, The Emporium, Triq C. De Brocktorff, Msida MSD 1421.

More information can be obtained by phoning Quitline 2326-6000.