Ottawa – Marking the start of National Non-Smoking Week, a time to reflect on the benefits of a smoke-free life and support people to have the confidence and commitment and resources to quit smoking. Tobacco use continues to be the leading preventable cause of illness and premature death in Canada, killing approximately 46,000 Canadians each year.
For those who smoke, quitting is one of the best things you can do for your health. The health benefits of quitting smoking can be felt as early as twenty minutes after your last cigarette, regardless of your age, and those benefits can continue to be felt for years after. However, quitting can be difficult and it is important to equip yourself with support and tools to help you on your quitting journey.
The Government of Canada has many resources available to help people quit smoking. The Tools for a Smoke-Free Life campaign encourages individuals who smoke to learn more about the many easy-to-use tools and supports that can help them quit. The campaign also features inspiring testimonials from Canadians who have successfully quit smoking.
Canadians can also contact the pan-Canadian toll-free quitline where trained specialists can help them develop a plan, provide support, answer questions and provide referrals to programs and services in their community. The quitline can be reached at 1-866-366-3667 or online at Gosmokefree.gc.ca/quit.
The Government of Canada has committed $66 million annually since 2018, through Canada’s Tobacco Strategy, to help Canadians who smoke to quit or reduce the harms of their addiction to nicotine, and to protect youth and people who do not use tobacco from the dangers of tobacco use and nicotine addiction. The strategy aims to see less than 5% tobacco use among Canadians by 2035.
Through the new Tobacco Products Appearance, Packaging and Labelling Regulations, Canada became the first in the world to require health warnings directly on individual cigarettes. The new individual health warnings will start appearing on cigarettes by the end of April 2024. This measure increases the reach of health warnings, especially among youth who often access cigarettes one at a time in social situations and may not see the health hazards information printed on the package.
In September 2023, we announced the second legislative review of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act. This review focuses on the tobacco-related provisions and operations of the Act and will help better understand how these measures can further reduce tobacco use in Canada. The report will be tabled in 2024.
It is normal for a person to have concerns about whether they can quit smoking, but with the right tools and supports, it is possible. For more information and resources to help quit smoking, visit Canada.ca/quit-smoking. If you need mental health or substance use support, please talk to a doctor and reach out to family and friends for support. Additionally, you can visit canada.ca/mental-health for immediate, free and confidential mental health and substance use help. – Mark Holland, Ya’ara Saks