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.