Maritime supports and incentives to quit smoking in 2023

Kick the habit: Butting out A look at some of the supports that are in place to help those who want to quit smoking in the new year.

It’s a common New Year’s resolution to make, and an easy one to break.

Pledging to give up cigarettes can be difficult at any time of the year, but additional stress from the first few days of January can make it even more of a challenge.

“You really need to be mentally prepared for when you set that quit date,” says Robert MacDonald, the president of the Lung Association of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. “For a lot of people, Jan. 1 does not work with the festive season.”

“That’s why National Non-Smoking Week is actually the third week of January. It prepares people and gives them a little time to set that goal.”

It can also allow time to establish a support system.

A variety of "stop smoking" programs can be found throughout the region year-round.

In New Brunswick, the Horizon and Vitalité health authorities offer smoking cessation clinics within multiple facilities.

The Nova Scotia Health Authority offers an in-person and virtual smoking cessation program across the province.

The pilot-program "QuitNS" has already sent a month's supply of nicotine patches and gum to about 400 Nova Scotians. The program, offered by the Lung Association, has about 1,000 more people on a waiting list.

“We’re working on some proposals for potential funders,” says MacDonald.

On Prince Edward Island, a provincial program covers the costs of nicotine patches, gum, and other specific smoking cessation prescriptions.

The nationwide toll-free quit smoking line is 1-866-366-3667.

By the end of 2023, it may also become more difficult for smokers to avoid messages about the risks of their habit. Canada is expected to become the first country in the world to print health warnings on individual cigarettes.

About 13 per cent of Canadians smoked in 2020, compared to 50 per cent in 1965.

Canada’s lowest smoking rate is in British Columbia, with the highest in the three territories and four Atlantic provinces.