Film follows Regina man who offers $1,000 to get smokers to quit
Bruce Robinson has been making $1,000 offers for 25 years
A new film documents the efforts of Bruce Robinson who, for 25 years, has been offering $1,000 to get smokers to quit.
Robinson has been approaching complete strangers. His offer: quit smoking immediately and stay smoke free for a year and he will give them $1,000.
The film 1000 Excuses premieres Friday.
Robinson was moved to action after his father died, at 57, of a heart attack due to smoking.
"It's just something I do," Robinson explained. "Obviously I don't like smoking. My dad died from it and I lost three friends in one year from smoking."
Although he has made the offer to around 1,500 people, Robinson said he has paid the $1,000 promise to just 14 people over 25 years. Five took up the offer during the course of filming the documentary.
Robinson said the cold turkey nature of his request may be the reason why he has not paid out so frequently noting that the cold turkey quitters only succeed about five per cent of the time.
He quite literally changed my life.- Jessica Molnar
Jessica Molnar, one of the people featured in the film, recalled her encounter with Robinson in Regina.
"He quite literally changed my life," Molnar said, noting her last cigarette was over 14 months ago.
Molnar had heard about a man offering money to get people to quit. She wasn't sure the story was true and was very surprised when she encountered Robinson and his offer.
"I had a full pack of cigarettes and he ripped it up in front of me," she said. She took his offer and discovered quitting is difficult.
"Lots of tears and anger," Molnar said. "I struggled a lot at the beginning."
Robinson said he will continue to make the offer, from time to time, but not as frequently as he has in the past.
"I probably won't do it a whole lot of times," he said.
Robinson added he expects people who collect his $1,000 to stay smoke-free for life.
Molnar noted that, in addition to Robinson's money, she figures she has also saved about $2,500 by not having to buy cigarettes.
The film's first showing is set for Friday at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.) at the George Reed Theatre in the Orr Centre, at 4400 Fourth Ave. in Regina.
The documentary was shot in Moose Jaw, Regina and Lumsden. It was independently funded by Robinson who worked with filmmakers Nick Lamb and Ryan Borowko.
