QEII Halifax Infirmary Emergency Department is working with reduced space, which may lead to delays for those with less urgent concerns. Learn more here.
Starting Saturday, December 14, the entrance to the QEII Halifax Infirmary Emergency Department will change to 1840 Bell Road. Learn more.
Smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Lung Cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Nova Scotia; every year, about 1,000 Nova Scotians are diagnosed and 700 die of the disease. COPD affects 13% or 86,000 Nova Scotians.
While smoking rates have reduced, 13.7% of Nova Scotians still report current smoking and they smoke more cigarettes daily than Canadians in other provinces (18.6 cigs a day). The good news is that approximately 70% of Nova Scotians who smoke say they would like to quit. That’s well over 100,000 opportunities to help Nova Scotians achieve a smoke-free lifestyle.
The INSPIRED COPD Outreach Program and Cancer Care Program want Nova Scotians to know it’s never too late to quit or reduce smoking. The New Year is a perfect time to encourage resolutions about smoking, especially when someone’s lung health is compromised as it is with COPD.
There are a number of resources available that can help:
• Mental Health and Addictions offers 8-week virtual (ZOOM) and/or in-person Stop Smoking group programs that provide counseling and optional nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) including the nicotine patch and oral NRTs (nicotine gum, lozenges, etc.).
• NRTs can make a big difference. In fact, using NRTs can improve a person's success in quitting by 50 -70%. Add in behavioral counseling and the success rates are even higher. For more details contact Mental Health and Addictions Central Intake Services at 1-855-922-1122 to learn more about nicotine cessation support resources in your area, including how to access NRTs, which can increase the success of attempts to quit.
• COPD Care and Education Nova Scotia offers several virtual education sessions through Nova Scotia Health’s Healthy NS platform including Quit Curious, and COPD and Living Smoke Free.
• Tobacco Free Nova Scotia offers free and confidential behavioral counselling from anywhere in Nova Scotia to support smoking cessation. Call 811 to speak with a quit counsellor.