press releases

Oakland - November 15, 2005 - The American Cancer Society, Evite.com, and Kaiser Permanente have joined forces to encourage loved ones to quit smoking. In honor of the American Cancer Society's annual Great American Smokeout(R), the three organizations have devised innovative tools to encourage people to quit this November 17.

The campaign to "Invite Good Health" encourages smokers and nonsmokers to invite loved ones to quit smoking on the day of the Smokeout. Four customized electronic invitations from Evite.com help people host "smoke-free" parties. Each invitation features a unique, animated short story. The groups have also collaborated on health information tip-sheets and promotional fliers. These resources are available at Kaiser Permanente medical facilities in California, American Cancer Society facilities nationwide, and online at http://www.smokeout.evite.com/smokeout.

"We are very excited about this partnership," said Briggs Ferguson, CEO, Evite. "The Great American Smokeout is a great cause and we're pleased to have Evite.com associated with smoke-free celebrations and good health."

"For almost 30 years, the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout has given smokers the confidence to quit," said Diane Fink, MD, chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society California division. "Our three organizations are excited to offer smokers and their loved ones a fresh and fun new way to plan for this annual opportunity to give up the habit for a day, and maybe for good."

Kaiser Permanente sees the Great American Smokeout project as a great reflection of its commitment to healthy, thriving communities. "Kaiser Permanente, as an organization, is committed to decreasing smoking among its members and in the community. In California, where the organization's award-winning smoking-cessation program originated, our members smoke one-third less than the rest of the state and nearly 50 percent less than the nation," said Scott Gee, MD, medical director, Prevention and Health Information for Kaiser Permanente's northern California region. "This collaboration allows us to share some of that program with the entire country in a new, innovative way."

A national survey after the 2003 Great American Smokeout found more than 8.3 million smokers nationwide (18 percent of all U.S. smokers) took part in the annual event, with nearly 2.3 million (5 percent) giving up completely for the day.

Smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States and will cause about 30 percent of the estimated 570,280 cancer deaths in 2005. Approximately 45.4 million Americans are addicted to tobacco; roughly one in four adults and one in five teenagers in the United States are current smokers. Forty-six million American adults are former smokers.

About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering and preventing cancer through research, education, advocacy and service. Founded in 1913 and with national headquarters in Atlanta, the Society has 13 regional divisions and local offices in 3,400 communities, involving millions of volunteers across the United States.

About Evite.com
Featuring free online invitations , local hot spot recommendations , event listings , recipe suggestions , party tips and more, Evite.com makes planning easy. With 250,000 events planned a month and 9 million invitations sent, Evite.com is the leading social planning destination on the web. Launched in 1998, Evite.com was acquired by Ticketmaster, the world's leading live event ticketing and Access Company, in 2001 and is currently headquartered in Los Angeles.

About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health plan. Founded in 1945, it is a not-for-profit; group practice prepayment program headquartered in Oakland, Calif. Kaiser Permanente serves the health care needs of more than 8.3 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Today it encompasses the not-for-profit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the for-profit Permanente Medical Groups. Nationwide, Kaiser Permanente includes approximately 142,000 technical, administrative and clerical employees and caregivers, and more than 12,000 physicians representing all specialties.

http://www.cancer.org
http://www.members.KP.org
http://www.smokeout.evite.com/smokeout

For more information contact:
Heather Soule
Heather@evite.com
310.360.4656