Health Department celebrates National Non-Smoking Week, January 21 to 27

Whitby, Ontario - National Non-Smoking Week is January 21 to 27 and Durham Region Health Department will celebrate by reminding everyone that it’s never too late to quit smoking.

National Non-Smoking Week has been recognized across Canada for more than 40 years. The week is observed annually to raise awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco use and to encourage smokers to quit smoking. Research has shown that tobacco is the biggest preventable cause of death in Canada, with approximately 16,000 Ontarians dying every year from tobacco use. Tobacco use also burdens Canadian society with $11 billion in health care or indirect economic costs every year.

“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 perfect time to consider improving health by quitting smoking or vaping. We encourage individuals to talk to their healthcare providers about strategies to help quit smoking or vaping.”

As of 2022, research indicates that almost 11 per cent of Canadians 15 and older were cigarette smokers; this represents over three million people nationally. Research from 2022 also shows that among people 15 and older who smoke cigarettes daily, almost 35 per cent had made at least one quit attempt lasting 24 hours.

E-cigarettes are also concerning for youth and young adults, who may be at risk of becoming addicted to nicotine in e-cigarettes as these products often contain added flavours that may be enticing to start using tobacco and vapour products. Research indicates that 30 per cent of Canadian youth 15 to 19-years old were vaping and almost 48 per cent of young adults 20-24 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. The STOP on the Net program is an online resource to help individuals quit smoking cigarettes from the comfort of their home, with participants receiving a 10-week supply of free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) patches and gum/lozenges mailed to their address. For more details visit https://www.nicotinedependenceclinic.com/en/stop/home.
• The Don’t Quit Quitting website offers free tips, tricks, and facts to guide individuals along the quit journey. Use the Quit Calculator to see how much money can be saved. For more information visit https://dontquitquitting.ca.
• The Stop Vaping Challenge App, a free app available on Apple IOS and Android devices, 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 https://www.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 https://www.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.