News and press releases

Montréal, June 17, 2015. On the strength of the expertise it has gained over the past 16 years with the Quit to Win! Challenge, Capsana is innovating and is now offering a smoking cessation program specifically designed for the workplace. The Stop Smoking Challenge is an online turnkey solution, available in French and English, which allows workplaces to provide concrete and motivating support to their employees who wish to quit smoking.

A promoter of health solutions in the workplace for many years now, Capsana is proud to propose this new feature. ”It is estimated that an employer pays on average $4,000 more a year for an employee who smokes than for a non-smoker, due to the costs associated with reduced productivity for smoke breaks and increased absenteeism related to health problems¹. It is therefore extremely relevant for organizations to invest in cessation programs for their employees, especially since the workplace lends itself well to the promotion of healthy lifestyle habits,” says Guy Desrosiers, CEO of Capsana.

The Stop Smoking Challenge invites smokers to quit smoking for at least 6 weeks, which is an excellent start on a new smoke-free life. It is based on the principle of individual engagement, reinforced by group motivation. The program gives those registered access to numerous exclusive features, including a website, a personal file containing many support tools, and emails of encouragement.

CGI: the first client of the Stop Smoking Challenge

The multinational CGI, which worked in close collaboration with Capsana to adapt the program, is the first company to implement it. The organization, which includes 68,000 members worldwide, is reputed for the promotion of healthy lifestyle habits. Hence the Stop Smoking Challenge crossed the borders of Canada and in the spring of 2015 was deployed in nearly 40 countries, including France, England, India and the United States. The first edition of the program was a real success, measured by a high participation rate. On the strength of the interest shown by its members, CGI will repeat the experience for the next 2 years.

“We are delighted to have collaborated with Capsana in offering the Stop Smoking Challenge to all of our professionals. Thanks to this program, hundreds of employees who wanted to quit smoking were able to find the motivation and the support required to succeed. Capsana’s Stop Smoking Challenge rounds out our worldwide service offering and provides even more possibilities to members who want to adopt or maintain healthy behaviours,” says Valérie Langevin, Manager, Health and Wellness at CGI.

About Capsana

Capsana is a social enterprise owned by the HMR Foundation, the ÉPIC Foundation, which is associated with the Montreal Heart Institute, and the Fondation PSI. Its mission is to help individuals take an active role in their health. Founded in 1988 under the name ACTI-MENU, Capsana is dedicated exclusively to the promotion of health and healthy lifestyles, as well as the prevention and management of chronic diseases.

Capsana is behind well-known public campaigns such as the 5/30 Health and Wellness Challenge, the Quit to Win! Challenge and Smoke‐Free Family, that are geared toward the general public, municipalities and families. It also implements health-promotion programs in the workplace and produces publications and other patient information tools for the clinical setting.

For more information, visit www.capsana.ca.

1. Fares, B., Stonebridge, C. and Thériault, L. (2013). Smoking Cessation and the Workplace: Measuring the Benefits of Workplace Smoking Cessation. Ottawa: The Conference Board of Canada.