(CRIENGLISH.com)
Updated: 2008-05-06 14:01

If you are a regular smoker, your daily habit is, whether you admit it or not, costing your money and health. Now you are offered a chance to win some money and save your health at the same time. Easy?

The first nationwide give-up-smoking competition, to be launched on June 1, is accepting applications through to May 31, the World No Tobacco Day.

Citizens can sign up for the event at local centers for disease control and prevention.

As a joint effort by the Ministry of Health and several other government departments, the competition aims to promote healthy living and a smoke-free Beijing Olympics.

A qualified candidate must be or above 18-years-old, who has a smoking history of at least one year, and has an accompanied testifier throughout the competition.

Those who are able to resist lighting up for six months since the competition begins and pass the final nicotine test will enter a lottery for a maximum reward of 10,000 yuan (US$1,429).

China is one of the biggest tobacco consuming countries in the world. Statistics from the Ministry of Health show the country has an estimated 350 million smokers, roughly one third of the global total.

So far, more than 150 Chinese cities have imposed restrictions on public smoking. Beijing, the nation's capital, has banned smoking in all restaurants, offices and schools since the beginning of this month.