Everyone has his or her own reasons for quitting smoking or tobacco, like the effects on your health and the impacts on your family. Knowing your reasons for quitting can help you stay motivated.
It’s never too late to quit smoking. There are supports available to help you start a smoke-free life:
Also see: quit smoking before surgery
The Smoking Reduction and Cessation Group is designed to address the unique needs of mental health clients who want to learn about tobacco addiction and to cut down or quit smoking.
Referrals are accepted from physicians, psychiatrists, case managers, or therapists at the Day Hospital, Eric Martin Pavilion at Royal Jubilee Hospital. For more information, call 250-370-8175.
The Talk Tobacco program offers culturally-appropriate support for quitting smoking, vaping and commercial tobacco use to Indigenous people and communities in BC. Support is available by telephone, text message and live chat. The service is free and confidential, open seven days a week and offers interpretation in many Indigenous languages.
The Indigenous Healthy Living Activities (AHLA) is a provincially funded program designed to bring together community leaders and individuals who are passionate about health and wellness and to promote healthy living including reduction of tobacco misuse. Contact the program manager for more information.
The Electronic Cigarette Education Kit is designed for employers, educators, teachers, youth workers, counsellors, public health nurses and others to inform adults and youth about the dangers of e-cigarettes.
The kit includes five learning modules, which range from 10-20 minutes in duration:
Describes the basic components of an electronic cigarette.
Describes the purpose and uses of propylene glycol and the types of e-juice "flavours" that appeal to children.
Describes some of the risks associated with e-cigarettes.
Describes the nature and risks of nicotine.
Describes the current legal landscape (or lack thereof) relating to e-cigarettes and e-juice.
A printed kit, which includes all modules that can be customized by the instructor, can be borrowed for up to three weeks. To request this kit, email to your local Tobacco Prevention and Control Services contact and include:
Educational toolkits on tobacco and health are available for loan to help educators, teachers, youth workers, counsellors, public health nurses and others talk to groups of children and youth about tobacco use and engage them in exercises to encourage them to remain tobacco-free. Each kit comes in a case - you can borrow the entire kit or specific exercises from each kit. Each exercise is good for almost any group size and take anywhere from 10-60 minutes to go through.
Tobacco Free Sports – The target age group for this kit is youth ages 13-18.
Smokeless Tobacco – The target age group for this kit is youth ages 13-18.
Tobacco and Children – The target age group for this it is children ages 8-12.
Tobacco and Youth – The target age group for this kit is youth ages 13-18.
Electronic Cigarettes – The target age group for this kit is youth ages 13-18.
To borrow a kit, e-mail to the Tobacco Reduction Coordinator in your area, with the following information: Your name, organization, contact information, kit or exercise(s) requested and the date(s) that you would like to borrow the resources.
Contact your local Tobacco Prevention and Control Services for more information.
