It is normal to try several times before successfully quitting smoking. Deciding to quit could be the single most important thing a smoker does for his/her health.

Renfrew County and District Smoking Cessation Services and Resources

Telephone Support

Call 1-866-797-0000 to speak with someone about quitting. A free and confidential service for health advice and information 24 hours a day, seven days a week in more than 300 languages.

Smokers’ Help Line

Visit Smokers’ Helpline for free tips and tools to help you quit tobacco use and increase your chance of being successful. Support is available online and through text messaging in English and French by texting iQuit123456.

Physicians/Health Care Providers

Physicians and other health care providers can offer information and counselling about quitting smoking and can recommend or prescribe medications to help you quit smoking.

Private Health Insurance

If you have private health insurance (e.g. through work), call your insurance company to see what smoking cessation services your plan offers.

Pharmacy Smoking Cessation Program

Through the Pharmacy Smoking Cessation Program, pharmacists can recommend over-the-counter medications to help you quit smoking and can prescribe certain medications for smoking cessation. Some pharmacies offer a smoking cessation program which offers counselling for eligible Ontarians.

If you receive your medications through the Ontario Drug Benefit plan (ODB), check with your pharmacist to see if they are offering free quit smoking support through this program. You may be eligible for Champix (varenicline) or Zyban (bupropion).

Quash

Quash is a judgement-free app to help youth quit smoking or vaping —the way you want! Set goals, track cravings, earn badges and access tools and tips. Available on the App Store or Google Play.

Quash Adult Allies

Free certificate training equips adults to deliver the Quash smoking and vaping cessation program to youth in their communities. Click the following link for more details: The Quash Adult Facilitator.

Stop Vaping Challenge

This app challenges you to stop vaping for as long as you can with a timer that tracks seconds, minutes, and hours. Invite friends to join the challenge through the app, track mood and cravings, record photo and video memories, and find local resources on quitting vaping. Available on the App Store and Google Play.

Don’t Quit Quitting

If you’re like a lot of people, you’ve tried quitting before. Whether you were smoke or vape free for a year or a day, every try brings you one step closer to quitting for good!

This website has tips, tricks, and facts to guide you through your quit journey. Use the Quit Calculator to see how much money you can save. Quitting is hard, but you don’t have to do it alone. The more support you get, the better your chances of success. Click here to review the website, and to view other resources.

I Quit For Me

This guide is for youth who want to quit using tobacco, cigarettes, or vapes. To view the guide, click this link: I quit for me

Wouldn’t it be great if someone helped you with how to quit smoking or vaping, instead of just telling you why you should quit?

This guide is for youth who want to quit using tobacco, cigarettes, or vapes.

• This guide does not preach at you to quit.
• It does focus on stuff that matters to youth.
• This guide gives advice for quitting.
• Advice that can work for you if that’s what you want.

Research has consistently shown that using certain smoking cessation medications doubles the chances of successfully quitting in clinical settings.

Renfrew County and District Smoking Cessation Services and Resources

Smoking Treatment for Ontario Patients (STOP) Study

The STOP Study is a research project of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) that aims to discover the most effective ways to deliver free smoking cessation medication and counselling to smokers across Ontario.

Patients at Family Health Teams, Community Health Centres, and addiction agencies in Renfrew County and District can enroll in the STOP Study and receive ongoing smoking cessation treatment. This includes Nicotine Replacement Therapy and counselling support, at no cost. Other residents of Renfrew County and District can enroll by contacting Addictions Treatment Service (613-432-9855/1-800-265-0197), Mackay Manor (613-432-7666/1-877-819-4181) or West Champlain Family Health Team (613-735-8051).

Smoking Treatment For Ontario Patients with Youth And Young Adults (STOP-YAYA)

The STOP program is offering a program for Youth and Young Adults (18 to 29 years of age) attempting to quit smoking. Through the program, eligible participants will be able to receive two weeks of free NRT patches. To learn more about the program and to enroll, visit: www.stopstudy.ca

Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation Community Program

A community program for people who wish to quit smoking but are not enrolled with a health care provider or cannot easily access smoking cessation treatment and support. You will receive a smoking cessation consultation, will be instructed on how to enroll in a Nicotine Replacement Therapy voucher program (if appropriate), and will receive 6 months of follow-up support to help you through your quit journey. If you are interested in this service call 1-888-645-5405 and leave your contact information on the voice mail and a Nicotine Addiction Specialist will get back to you within 2 business days.

Renfrew County and District Smoking Cessation Services and Resources

First Week Challenge Contest

The First Week Challenge Contest offers a chance to win a $500 cash prize by quitting smoking or stopping other forms of tobacco for one week.

Adults 19 and over can register on the web site by the last day of each month. For a chance to win the cash prize, stay tobacco-free for the first 7 days of the next month. A new winner is randomly chosen every month.

Booklets

Lung Health Foundation

Develop a plan and get tips to quit smoking.

• Journey to Quit workbook

Health Canada

Guides by Health Canada for adults and young adults with information and strategies to successfully stop smoking

• On the Road to Quitting guide for adults
• On the Road to Quitting guide for young adults

A quit smoking booklet and program for youth developed by Health Canada

• Quit 4 Life booklet for youth

Websites

Clear the Air  For LGBT communities. Information on the benefits of quitting smoking, an assessment tool, quit tips, and other resources.

Indigenous Tobacco Program Tobacco-Wise information on tobacco and health from the Indigenous Tobacco Program of Cancer Care Ontario.

Pregnets For moms, moms-to-be and health care providers. Includes answers to common questions about quitting, discussion boards and other resources for quitting smoking.

Ministry of Health and Long Term Care – Support to Quit Smoking – It often takes many attempts – and some help – to succeed at anything. Quitting smoking is no different. Find support to help you quit.

Renfrew County and District Health Unit promotes national, provincial, regional and locally developed mass media and social marketing campaigns with the goal of preventing initiation or escalation of the use of tobacco, and other harmful inhaled substances and products (such as e-cigarettes). Youth/young adults are especially vulnerable to starting to smoke and to becoming addicted to nicotine because of their stage of brain development. We implement activities to increase knowledge of the health risks associated with tobacco and e-cigarette use.

Smoke-Free Movies

Exposure to tobacco use can influence young people’s decision to use tobacco products. Although the Smoke-Free Ontario Act prohibits smoking in many public places, children and youth are still exposed to tobacco use in a variety of settings, including movies. The Ontario Coalition for Smoke-Free Movies is raising awareness about the impact that smoking in movies has on youth smoking. The Coalition is calling for a rating change in Ontario that would prevent tobacco from being shown in future movies rated for kids and teens.

Renfrew County and District Health Unit enforces the Smoke-Free Ontario Act (SFOA), 2017 in workplaces, public places, schools, health care facilities, tobacco and vapour retailers, and other designated places. Tobacco Enforcement Officers conduct routine inspections, investigate complaints and enforce the SFOA.

Where you can’t smoke:

The SFOA prohibits smoking and vaping in all enclosed workplaces (including vehicles), enclosed public places, and other designated places in Ontario. This is necessary to protect workers and the public from the hazards of second-hand smoke and vapour.

• “Smoking” refers to smoking (inhaling and exhaling) or holding lighted tobacco or cannabis (medical or recreational).
• “Vaping” refers to inhaling or exhaling vapour from an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) or holding an activated e-cigarette, whether or not the vapour contains nicotine.

Find out more about vaping here.

Smoke-Free Spaces:

Renfrew County and District Health Unit encourages municipalities, workplaces and landlords to create smoke-free spaces that are not included in the SFOA. Laws, regulations and policies that help reduce people’s exposure to second-hand smoke and vapour are important and add to provincial efforts to stop smoking/vaping-related illness and death. Renfrew County and District Health Unit can provide support and assist you with developing smoke-free policies.

• Workplaces looking to implement a Smoke-Free workplace policy can refer to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS): Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS): Workplace Policy
• Residents have a right to smoke-free air in their home. Smoke-Free Housing Ontario provides resources for landlords and tenants to make their apartment buildings and other multi-unit dwellings smoke-free.

Tobacco and/or Vapour Retailers:

The SFOA also prohibits the sale and supply of tobacco and vapour products to anyone who is less than 19 years old. It also places restrictions on how tobacco and vapour products can be displayed, handled and promoted in retail stores. Tobacco and/or vapour product retailers must comply with the SFOA.

Information for retailers, duty-free retailers, tobacconists, specialty vape stores, and colleges and universities can be found here.

Specialty Vape Stores:

The SFOA has certain exemptions that allow specialty vape stores to display, promote and test/sample vapour products. To access this exemption, Ontario Regulation 268/18 under the SFOA, 2017 specifies that a retail establishment must be registered as a specialty vape store with the local board of health for the public health unit in which the business is located. Registration is location-specific.

To be registered as a specialty vape store for a specific location, a retail establishment must meet certain criteria. Click here for more information.

Contact a Tobacco Enforcement Officer:

To make an SFOA complaint, get additional information or signage please contact Renfrew County and District Health Unit at 613-732-3629 extension 505, 1-800-267-1097 extension 505 or email environmentalhealth@rcdhu.com.

Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling an aerosol (commonly referred to as “vapour”) produced by a vaping device, such as an e-cigarette. The aerosol is a mixture of chemicals and small particles that can damage the lungs. E-cigarettes are reported to be less harmful than tobacco cigarettes, however less harmful doesn’t mean safe or harmless.

The short and long-term health risks associated with vaping continue to be examined and are not fully known. The following resources and websites contain information on the risks of vaping.

CAMH: Vaping – What you and your friends need to know (July 2020)

Cancer Care Ontario: Vaping and Your Health Fact Sheet (March 2020)

Consider the Consequences of Vaping – Health Canada

Risks of E-cigarettes for Children, Teens and Young Adults – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

Talking With Your Teen About Vaping Tip Sheet for Parents – Health Canada

Vaping – Health Canada

Vaping Facilitation Guide for Educators Working with Youth

Vaping Information for Parents Caregivers and Educators

Vaping Student Resource: What you and your friends need to know

Compass Youth Health Trends in Ontario: Vaping 

Not an Experiment – Health Canada