Health Department celebrates National Non-Smoking Week January 19 to 25

Whitby, Ontario – January 19 to 25 is National Non-Smoking Week (NNSW) and is a reminder from Durham Region Health Department that it's never too late to quit smoking.

For over 40 years, NNSW has raised awareness for Canadians about the dangers of tobacco use and the importance of supporting each other in the journey to quit smoking. Research has shown that tobacco remains the leading preventable cause of death in Canada, with approximately 16,000 lives lost to tobacco in Ontario each year and costing society $11 billion annually in health care and indirect costs.

“The start of a new year is often a time when people reflect on their lifestyle choices and ways to be healthier,” said Joanne Huizinga, a public health nurse with the Health Department. “National Non-Smoking Week is a chance to bring awareness and offer support and encouragement to those who are trying to quit smoking, those who have faced setbacks, individuals who are considering quitting, and people who have loved ones whose smoking is affecting their time together. We encourage individuals to talk to their health care providers about strategies to help them quit smoking or vaping.”

Recent studies show that almost 11 per cent of Canadians 15 and older were cigarette smokers, representing more than three million people nationally. Additionally, 35 per cent of daily smokers 15 and older had made at least one quit attempt lasting 24 hours.

E-cigarettes are also a concern, as youth and young adults are at risk of becoming addicted to nicotine in e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes often contain added flavours that may entice young people to start using tobacco and vapour products. Studies have shown that 30 per cent of Canadian youth 15 to 19-years old were vaping, while almost and 48 per cent of young adults 20 to 24-years old were vaping.

The Health Department offers several resources to help support individuals who want to quit smoking and vaping. Visit durham.ca/tobaccoandvaping to learn more about:

• The benefits of quitting.
• How to manage withdrawal symptoms and triggers.
• Making your quit plan.
• Quit smoking medications and community supports.

Other community supports offered to individuals who want to quit smoking or vaping include:

• Centre of Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Smoking Treatment for Ontario Patients (STOP) on the Net Program, a province-wide initiative delivering smoking cessation treatment and counselling support to people who want to reduce/quit their tobacco use. This program is available free of charge through partnerships with community health care organizations. STOP on the Net is an online program to help individuals quit smoking cigarettes from the comfort of their home and receive a 10-week supply of free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) patches and gum/lozenges mailed to their address. For more details visit nicotinedependenceclinic.com/en/stop/home.
• Don’t Quit Quitting website offering free tips, tricks, and facts to guide along the quit journey. Use the Quit Calculator to see how much money can be saved. For more information visit dontquitquitting.ca.
• The Stop Vaping Challenge App, a free app available on Apple IOS and Android devices that provides a venue for youth to reflect on their vaping behaviours and patterns in a fun and social way, encouraging youth to quit with friends. For more details visit otru.org.
• Quashapp.com is a smoking and vaping cessation program for youth and adults 14 to 30-years old which was co-designed with youth and is available across Canada. This free mobile app is available in English and French from the Apple App store and Google Play store and provides supports to a diverse group of youth (i.e., 2SLGBTQI+ youth, Indigenous youth, Francophone youth) and their adult allies. For more details, visit quashapp.com.

For more information on quitting smoking and vaping, tobacco and vaping use prevention, and protection from exposure to second-hand smoke and vapour, visit durham.ca/TobaccoandVaping. Information is also available on this website about the Durham Region Smoking and Vaping By-law and the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, 2017.

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For more information, please contact the Health Department.