Tobacco and vaping cessation information

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in Canada. Even a one- to three-minute conversation with a patient can help them quit. Using the three A’s framework ensures health-care providers ask about nicotine use, advise clients to quit, and act by connecting them to treatment.

Health-care providers play an important role in helping patients quit or reduce smoking and vaping. Providing education, support, and evidence-based cessation resources can help improve health outcomes, reduce the risk of chronic disease, and prevent nicotine addiction.

STOP is a province-wide initiative delivering smoking cessation support that can be implemented by practitioners from many disciplines working in a variety of health-care and health services settings. Through the STOP program, patients can access counselling and publicly funded nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) from participating health-care providers for up to 26 weeks.

Learn more about how to become a STOP implementer.

The Ontario Drug Benefit includes coverage to help patients quit smoking:

• Up to a year of pharmacist-assisted counselling (talk to your pharmacist or health-care provider)
• Prescription medications (for example, Champix or Zyban) if you are age 18 years or older.

The Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) Program provides clients (registered First Nations and recognized Inuit) with support to quit smoking.

Non-Insured Health Benefits clients are eligible for coverage in a 12-month period of:

• Up to 36 boxes of NRT (seven patches per box) and/or
• One 12-week supply of gum, lozenges, inhalers, or spray
• Prescription medications (for example, Zyban or Champix)

Training to develop specialized knowledge and skills to deliver effective, evidence-based smoking and vaping cessation interventions. The TEACH certificate program is offered, as well as specialty courses, mini-courses (such as the Fundamentals of Tobacco Intervention, which is a shorter course required to become a STOP provider), workshops, webinars, and a community of practice. All courses are online, faulty-moderated, and eligible for CPD and CME credits.

Integrating the three A’s (Ask, Advise, Act) into daily practice significantly increases quit attempts. A sample policy for your organization to implement Brief Contact Intervention (BCI) is also available on this website.

The Ottawa Model of Smoking Cessation (OMSC) was developed to support smoking cessation treatment as part of routine care for all patients who use tobacco. Ottawa Model of Smoking Cessation Implementation Specialists work with primary care organizations and hospital sites to implement the Ottawa Model of Smoking Cessation.

Southeast Public Health brings together professionals working in the tobacco and vaping cessation field through a collaborative Community of Practice (CoP) to improve access and reduce barriers to smoking cessation and vaping reduction and quitting supports and services. Key objectives of this Community of Practice include:

• Sharing and developing knowledge
• Enhancing collaboration
• Increasing networking opportunities
• Building and strengthening cessation supports and services in the southeast region

As a member, you will receive cessation-related updates and learning opportunities.

Meetings are held virtually three times per year.

Membership is open to those in the Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington (KFL&A), Leeds, Grenville and Lanark (LGL), and Hastings Prince Edward (HPE) regions. To join the Community of Practice, please complete this registration form.

Visit our Tobacco page for a list of information, resources, supports, and laws regarding tobacco and vaping.