When it comes to your health, there is no safe level of tobacco use.
The numbers are startling: every 11 minutes, a Canadian dies of a tobacco-related illness. These illnesses cause 20 per cent of deaths in Nova Scotia.
Meg McCallum, Director of Programming and District Services at the Canadian Cancer Society, Nova Scotia Division, says smoking – and general tobacco use – creates a complicated health burden.
“There’s no safe level of it,” Meg says of tobacco, adding that we have to look beyond the the person using tobacco products and realize tobacco use also affects the people around them.
She says a cigarette holds about 12 minutes of smoke. The person using the cigarette will inhale only 30 seconds of that. The rest of the smoke lingers at the end of the cigarette and swirls in the air. This is second-hand smoke. The 4,000 chemicals in this smoke contribute to diseases including cancer, asthma, heart disease and emphysema. Tobacco products affect the health of everyone.
Did you know?
Tobacco is the #1 cause of preventable disease and disability in Canada.
It causes 85% of lung cancer.
It causes 30% of all types of cancer.
About 200 Nova Scotians die every year from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke.
The research behind these and other smoking-related facts has fueled what Meg calls a “non-smoking society.” This positive form of peer pressure is having an impact. In 1999, 29 per cent of Nova Scotians smoked, but today only 20 per cent do.
“The biggest challenge is that tobacco use is an addiction,” says Meg. “Because smoking is so prevalent, people discount it as an addiction, and it’s a tough, tough addiction to break.”
So how do you start?
Myths about stopping tobacco use
Myth #1: It takes several attempts to stop successfully.
This may be true for some but not all people who want to stop using tobacco. Some people stop on their first try, while others may need to try a few times. The more support you have, the greater your chances are you will be tobacco free.
Myth #2: I can’t stop tobacco use without nicotine replacement products such as the patch or gum.
Medications may not be necessary for everyone who wants to stop smoking. Many light to moderate tobacco users may not need nicotine replacement to stop. Other methods such as support programs and self-help materials can be just as effective when you are trying to stop smoking.
Nicotine replacement may be helpful if:
- you are motivated to stop smoking
- you have tried to stop smoking before and felt the discomfort of withdrawal
- you are a moderate to heavy tobacco user.
Myth #3: If I use medications with nicotine, such as a patch or gum, they may be addictive and harmful to my health.
The nicotine in the patch or gum helps reduce tobacco cravings and the withdrawal symptoms that some people experience when they stop smoking. This type of nicotine is completely safe for most people because it doesn’t contain any of the harmful chemicals in cigarettes.
The small amount of nicotine you receive also means that you will not become addicted to the patch or gum.
Myth #4: I’ll gain weight if I stop smoking.
Everyone is different - some people may gain while others may not. If you do gain weight, increasing your physical activity and adopting healthy eating habits will enhance your overall health.
Breaking a dependence on tobacco
The Capital District Health Authority has a tobacco intervention program for the general public that’s offered throughout Halifax Regional Municipality. It’s free to attend, and is coupled with a “Getting Started” information session to begin. You can attend the information session and then register for the tobacco cessation program.
This is what you should expect from a typical journey through the program:
Getting Started
- Anyone concerned about their use of tobacco products is invited to come out to a Getting Started session.
- This one-hour educational session provides information to support individuals in making choices about their use of tobacco products and about other tobacco intervention program options.
- These sessions are held at least once a month, in a variety of community-based settings, rotating around the Capital Health region.
- Like all aspects of our programming, there is no charge to participants.
Keeping It Going: 4 Week Group Support Program
- Anyone who has attended a Getting Started session may choose to register for the four-week Group Support Program.
- These sessions are held once a week for four weeks, in a variety of community-based settings, throughout the Capital Health region.
- These sessions are facilitated by trained APTS staff, but led by the group in attendance.
Participants may choose to use Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), i.e. nicotine patch and gum, which is provided free of charge in conjunction with programming.
In between the steps: Feel free to call the Tobacco Helpline at 1-877-513-5333 for support.
Your stop-day countdown
You have decided to become tobacco free and have chosen the day you will stop using tobacco products.
Here are a few things you can do to get ready:
5 days before your stop date:
- Think about why you are stopping
- Tell your friends and family that you’re planning to stop
- Stop buying tobacco products
- Get individual, group or telephone support
4 days before your stop date:
- Pay attention to when and why you use tobacco
- Think of other things to hold in your hand instead of a cigarette
- Think of habits or routines associated with tobacco use that you could change
3 days before your stop date:
- Think about what you’ll do with the extra money when you stop buying tobacco
- Think about who you’ll call when you need help
2 days before your stop date:
- Find out if the patch and nicotine-replacement gum are right for you
- Think about your tobacco-use patterns and how to make new, tobacco-free patterns
1 day before your stop date:
- Put away lighters and ashtrays
- Throw away all tobacco and matches
- Clean your clothes to get rid of the tobacco smell
Butt out – why it is good for your health.
When you stop using tobacco, within 20 minutes your body begins the following series of changes.
- 20 minutes after stopping: your blood pressure goes down, pulse rate slows, and the body temperature of your hands and feet increases.
- Eight hours after stopping: the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal and the oxygen level in your blood increases to normal.
- 24 hours after stopping: your chance of having a heart attack lessens.
48 hours after stopping: nerve endings start re-growing, and your ability to smell and taste improves.
- Two weeks to three months after stopping: circulation improves, walking is easier, and your lung function increases.
- One to nine months after stopping: coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness
of breath decreases.
- One year after stopping: your high risk of heart disease is cut down to half of that
of a tobacco user.
Long-Term Benefits of Stopping
- At five years: from five to 15 years after stopping, your stroke risk is
reduced to that of someone who has never used tobacco.
- At 10 years: your risk of lung cancer drops to as little as one-half that
of continuing tobacco users. Your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder,kidney and pancreas lessens. your risk of developing stomach ulcers lessens.
- At 15 years: your risk of coronary heart disease is now similar to that
of someone who has never used tobacco. Your risk of early death returns to nearly the level of someone who has never used tobacco.
Butt out – how you can save money.
The average tobacco user consumes 15 cigarettes a day. At this rate, if an average pack of cigarettes costs $10, with 25 cigarettes per pack, you could save the following:
- In 1 year: $2,190
- In 10 years: $21,900
Just think: If you started smoking when you were 16, and you’re 45 right now, you could have saved $63,510. That could’ve been a few cars, or a down payment on a house.
How much money do you spend on cigarettes? Find out with this simple online calculator.
I fought the law, and the law won – where you can and can’t legally smoke.
Since December 1, 2006, the Smoke-Free Places Act banned smoking in all indoor workplaces and public places, including outdoor patios. (No “smoking rooms” are permitted.)
The only exception to the act permits long-term care facilities like nursing homes or a healthcare facility for long-term placement to have a smoking room.
As of April 1, 2008, there is also a ban on smoking in a car when children are present.
Online support
The Canadian Cancer Society has an online Smoker's Helpline and information about how to quit smoking. You can also call and talk to a Quit Specialist: 1-877-513-5333.
Other resources
Capital District Health Authority's Tobacco Intervention Program.
The Canadian Lung Association.
Health Canada.
When it comes to your health, there is no safe level of tobacco use.
The numbers are startling: every 11 minutes, a Canadian dies of a tobacco-related illness. These illnesses cause 20 per cent of deaths in Nova Scotia.
Meg McCallum, Director of Programming and District Services at the Canadian Cancer Society, Nova Scotia Division, says smoking – and general tobacco use – creates a complicated health burden.
“There’s no safe level of it,” Meg says of tobacco, adding that we have to look beyond the the person using tobacco products and realize tobacco use also affects the people around them.
She says a cigarette holds about 12 minutes of smoke. The person using the cigarette will inhale only 30 seconds of that. The rest of the smoke lingers at the end of the cigarette and swirls in the air. This is second-hand smoke. The 4,000 chemicals in this smoke contribute to diseases including cancer, asthma, heart disease and emphysema. Tobacco products affect the health of everyone.
Did you know?
Tobacco is the #1 cause of preventable disease and disability in Canada.
It causes 85% of lung cancer.
It causes 30% of all types of cancer.
About 200 Nova Scotians die every year from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke.
The research behind these and other smoking-related facts has fueled what Meg calls a “non-smoking society.” This positive form of peer pressure is having an impact. In 1999, 29 per cent of Nova Scotians smoked, but today only 20 per cent do.
“The biggest challenge is that tobacco use is an addiction,” says Meg. “Because smoking is so prevalent, people discount it as an addiction, and it’s a tough, tough addiction to break.”
So how do you start?
Myths about stopping tobacco use
Myth #1: It takes several attempts to stop successfully.
This may be true for some but not all people who want to stop using tobacco. Some people stop on their first try, while others may need to try a few times. The more support you have, the greater your chances are you will be tobacco free.
Myth #2: I can’t stop tobacco use without nicotine replacement products such as the patch or gum.
Medications may not be necessary for everyone who wants to stop smoking. Many light to moderate tobacco users may not need nicotine replacement to stop. Other methods such as support programs and self-help materials can be just as effective when you are trying to stop smoking.
Nicotine replacement may be helpful if:
- you are motivated to stop smoking
- you have tried to stop smoking before and felt the discomfort of withdrawal
- you are a moderate to heavy tobacco user.
Myth #3: If I use medications with nicotine, such as a patch or gum, they may be addictive and harmful to my health.
The nicotine in the patch or gum helps reduce tobacco cravings and the withdrawal symptoms that some people experience when they stop smoking. This type of nicotine is completely safe for most people because it doesn’t contain any of the harmful chemicals in cigarettes.
The small amount of nicotine you receive also means that you will not become addicted to the patch or gum.
Myth #4: I’ll gain weight if I stop smoking.
Everyone is different - some people may gain while others may not. If you do gain weight, increasing your physical activity and adopting healthy eating habits will enhance your overall health.
Breaking a dependence on tobacco
The Capital District Health Authority has a tobacco intervention program for the general public that’s offered throughout Halifax Regional Municipality. It’s free to attend, and is coupled with a “Getting Started” information session to begin. You can attend the information session and then register for the tobacco cessation program.
This is what you should expect from a typical journey through the program:
Getting Started
- Anyone concerned about their use of tobacco products is invited to come out to a Getting Started session.
- This one-hour educational session provides information to support individuals in making choices about their use of tobacco products and about other tobacco intervention program options.
- These sessions are held at least once a month, in a variety of community-based settings, rotating around the Capital Health region.
- Like all aspects of our programming, there is no charge to participants.
Keeping It Going: 4 Week Group Support Program
- Anyone who has attended a Getting Started session may choose to register for the four-week Group Support Program.
- These sessions are held once a week for four weeks, in a variety of community-based settings, throughout the Capital Health region.
- These sessions are facilitated by trained APTS staff, but led by the group in attendance.
Participants may choose to use Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), i.e. nicotine patch and gum, which is provided free of charge in conjunction with programming.
In between the steps: Feel free to call the Tobacco Helpline at 1-877-513-5333 for support.
Your stop-day countdown
You have decided to become tobacco free and have chosen the day you will stop using tobacco products.
Here are a few things you can do to get ready:
5 days before your stop date:
- Think about why you are stopping
- Tell your friends and family that you’re planning to stop
- Stop buying tobacco products
- Get individual, group or telephone support
4 days before your stop date:
- Pay attention to when and why you use tobacco
- Think of other things to hold in your hand instead of a cigarette
- Think of habits or routines associated with tobacco use that you could change
3 days before your stop date:
- Think about what you’ll do with the extra money when you stop buying tobacco
- Think about who you’ll call when you need help
2 days before your stop date:
- Find out if the patch and nicotine-replacement gum are right for you
- Think about your tobacco-use patterns and how to make new, tobacco-free patterns
1 day before your stop date:
- Put away lighters and ashtrays
- Throw away all tobacco and matches
- Clean your clothes to get rid of the tobacco smell
Butt out – why it is good for your health.
When you stop using tobacco, within 20 minutes your body begins the following series of changes.
- 20 minutes after stopping: your blood pressure goes down, pulse rate slows, and the body temperature of your hands and feet increases.
- Eight hours after stopping: the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal and the oxygen level in your blood increases to normal.
- 24 hours after stopping: your chance of having a heart attack lessens.
48 hours after stopping: nerve endings start re-growing, and your ability to smell and taste improves.
- Two weeks to three months after stopping: circulation improves, walking is easier, and your lung function increases.
- One to nine months after stopping: coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness
of breath decreases.
- One year after stopping: your high risk of heart disease is cut down to half of that
of a tobacco user.
Long-Term Benefits of Stopping
- At five years: from five to 15 years after stopping, your stroke risk is
reduced to that of someone who has never used tobacco.
- At 10 years: your risk of lung cancer drops to as little as one-half that
of continuing tobacco users. Your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder,kidney and pancreas lessens. your risk of developing stomach ulcers lessens.
- At 15 years: your risk of coronary heart disease is now similar to that
of someone who has never used tobacco. Your risk of early death returns to nearly the level of someone who has never used tobacco.
Butt out – how you can save money.
The average tobacco user consumes 15 cigarettes a day. At this rate, if an average pack of cigarettes costs $10, with 25 cigarettes per pack, you could save the following:
- In 1 year: $2,190
- In 10 years: $21,900
Just think: If you started smoking when you were 16, and you’re 45 right now, you could have saved $63,510. That could’ve been a few cars, or a down payment on a house.
How much money do you spend on cigarettes? Find out with this simple online calculator.
I fought the law, and the law won – where you can and can’t legally smoke.
Since December 1, 2006, the Smoke-Free Places Act banned smoking in all indoor workplaces and public places, including outdoor patios. (No “smoking rooms” are permitted.)
The only exception to the act permits long-term care facilities like nursing homes or a healthcare facility for long-term placement to have a smoking room.
As of April 1, 2008, there is also a ban on smoking in a car when children are present.
Online support
The Canadian Cancer Society has an online Smoker's Helpline and information about how to quit smoking. You can also call and talk to a Quit Specialist: 1-877-513-5333.
Other resources
Capital District Health Authority's Tobacco Intervention Program.
The Canadian Lung Association.
Health Canada.