Health
The theme for this year's National Non-Smoking Week is "breaking up is hard to do," but breaking up with tobacco this new year is easier for British Columbians thanks to B.C.'s Smoking Cessation Program.
Since the program launched on Sept. 30, 2011, more than 63,000 British Columbians have called 8-1-1 for free access to nicotine replacement therapies. Approximately 37,000 of these have been requests for first-time orders, representing almost seven per cent of B.C. smokers. Twenty-four thousand have been requests for refill orders and more than 19,000 people have obtained a prescription smoking cessation drug while visiting their physician for another reason.
The Smoking Cessation Program helps British Columbians stop smoking or using other tobacco products by assisting with the cost of smoking cessation aids. Once each calendar year, B.C. residents enrolled with the Medical Services Plan can receive PharmaCare coverage of a single continuous course of treatment of a prescription smoking cessation drug or a free 12-week supply of a nicotine replacement gum or patches.
After registering for the program, British Columbians can receive further support in quitting smoking from QuitNow Services. QuitNow has received more than 8,730 new web, text and telephone registrants since the Smoking Cessation Program began.
For more than 30 years, Canadians have observed National Non-Smoking Week during the third full week of January. This year National Non-Smoking Weeks runs from Jan. 15-21 and focuses include raising awareness of the dangers of smoking and ensuring residents have access to information on how to quit smoking.
Quotes:
Nathan Cook, Smoking Cessation Program registrant, Vancouver -
"The counsellors followed up with me regularly and gave me so many good pointers. I've been smoke-free since November and I'm feeling great."
Melodie St Jean, Smoking Cessation Program registrant, Prince George -
"Thanks to the Smoking Cessation Program and after 30 years as a smoker, I've now been smoke-free for more than 90 days. I wanted to quit for a while, but having access to the nicotine replacement patch through the program gave both me and my husband the added incentive to make this leap."
"As a non-smoker I have so much more energy and am thrilled to be able to go to the gym and work out without wheezing."
Quick Facts:
Nicotine Replacement Therapy orders by location:
(Sept. 30, 2011 through Jan. 5, 2012)
- Fraser Health = 20,803 or 33 per cent of all orders
- Interior Health = 14,126 or 22 per cent of all orders
- Northern Health = 3,680 or six per cent of all orders
- Vancouver Coastal = 8,743 or 14 per cent of all orders
- Vancouver Island Health Authority = 12,597 or 20 per cent of all orders
- No postal code = 3,832 or six per cent of all orders
- Already in 2012, HealthLink BC has taken approximately 4,500 orders for NRTs.
- NRTs are over-the-counter medications that contain nicotine and work to reduce withdrawal symptoms as they act as a substitute for the nicotine smokers would get through smoking.
- Through the Smoking Cessation Program, PharmaCare covers the prescription drugs varenicline (Champix) and bupropion (Zyban). These drugs do not contain nicotine, but work on the brain to manage withdrawal symptoms and cravings and reduce the urge to smoke.
- There are estimated 550,000 smokers in B.C. and about 70 per cent say they would like to quit.
- Each year, more than 6,000 British Columbians die from the effects of tobacco use. The cost to the B.C. economy is approximately $2.3 billion annually, including $605 million for direct health-care costs.
Learn More:
Thinking of quitting and looking for more information on how to plan? Please visit: www.health.gov.bc.ca/pharmacare/stop-smoking/
For more information on the PharmaCare program, visit: www.health.gov.bc.ca/pharmacare/
For more information on National Non-Smoking Week, visit: www.nnsw.ca/
Have general health-related questions? Visit: http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/.
Media Contact:
Ryan Jabs
Media Relations Manager
Ministry of Health
250 952-1887 (media line)
