Wellness goes beyond the individual choices we make. It happens when the people and places around us, support us. When we work together to make healthy choices more available, accessible and desirable, they become, with time, the natural choice, every time.
Tobacco and smoke-free living is an important aspect of wellness. It is well documented that wellness supporting environments — which are smoke-free or discourage the use of tobacco and vaping products — play a key role in preventing smoking initiation, as well as protecting people from the dangers of second-hand and third-hand smoke. But did you know that they are also key to helping people successfully quit smoking?
Nicotine addiction is so powerful that for many people, successfully quitting smoking will be one of their hardest undertakings. We can all play a part in helping them succeed by building supportive environments for smoking cessation in our communities. This means:
- Facilitating access to the right quit smoking resources, such as smoking cessation aids and professional help/coaching/counselling.
- Respecting smoke-free environments — indoors and outdoors — where people can live, work and play without being exposed to second-hand smoke which can trigger cravings and relapses.
- Encouraging friends, colleagues, and loved ones on their quit smoking journey. Cheering them on, avoiding judgment, helping them seek resources and information on the topic and being empathetic can all go a long way in helping the important people in our lives embrace a smoke-free lifestyle.
All week, the New Brunswick Anti-Tobacco Coalition (NBATC) will be sharing inspiring videos, stories, and information in its social media channels related to these three key components of supportive environments for smoking cessation. We’ll talk about how they have helped numerous New Brunswickers successfully quit smoking — contributing to declining smoking rates across the province. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, or visit this special National Non-Smoking Week webpage. Celebrate with us, and share
Monday, January 21
Theme: Help to quit smoking
Ready to quit smoking? The NBATC has links to free information and resources to help you succeed! Check out this page on our website featuring information on free resources available to New Brunswickers.
Looking to quit smoking? Get inspired! Check out this great video of testimonials from our friends at the SmokersHelpline. The Smokers Helpline offers free smoking cessation counselling online and by phone: 1-877-513-5333. www.smokershelpline.ca/
National Non-Smoking Week is the perfect week to break up with smoking! BreakItOff.ca has lots of great tools to help young adults quit smoking and stay smoke-free – for good!
Tuesday, January 22
Theme: Help to quit smoking
Looking for help and advice on quitting smoking? Did you know that Vitalité Health Network offers free Smoking Cessation Clinics? Smokers interested in stopping are monitored by a counselor who provides information and tips on giving up tobacco. We asked NBATC Steering Committee member Karelle Guignard, the Smoking Cessation Program Coordinator at Vitalité Health Network, to tell us more in this video.
In this video, we asked NBATC Steering Committee member Kelly Hurley (Coordinator -Centre of Excellence for Clinical Smoking Cessation at Horizon Health Network) to talk to us about supportive environments for smoking cessation in health care at Horizon Health Network.
Wednesday, January 23
Theme: Help to quit smoking
Our friends at The Wellness Movement share the inspiring Wellness Champions story of how the community of Rogersville implemented a smoking cessation pilot program, based on the Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation, which raised the success rates for their patients looking to quit smoking from 22% to 46%!
The NBATC loves sharing success stories from individuals, groups and organizations who take action to encourage tobacco and smoke-free living in their homes, schools, workplaces and communities. Here are some of our favourite inspiring stories that we have featured over the years showcasing some excellent programs and initiatives that have helped New Brunswickers quit smoking!
- New Brunswickers Achieve Healthy Tobacco-Free Lifestyle Thanks to Walk or Run to Quit
- Stop Smoking, Start Living! at Harvest House Atlantic
- Défi Qui Cesse Gagne! (Biggest Quitter Challenge) Personal Commitments Towards Tobacco-Free Living
- In the Acadian Peninsula, Smokers Are Learning to Run and Breathe In Fresh Air – Tobacco-Free!
Thursday, January 24
Theme: Smoke-free indoor and outdoor environments
The NBATC loves sharing success stories from individuals, groups and organizations who take action to encourage tobacco and smoke-free living in their homes, schools, workplaces and communities. Here are some of our favourite inspiring stories about smoke-free environments and policies – which discourage tobacco use and have helped many New Brunswickers quit smoking – that we have featured over the years:
- Parks & Trails Day NB – An Excellent Opportunity for Outdoor Smoke-Free Events
- CCNB Edmundston Leads the Way in New Brunswick With Province’s First Smoke-Free Campus
- The Movement for Outdoor Smoke-free Spaces is growing in New Brunswick. All Vitalité Health Network’s Hospitals and Clinics Will Respect a Smoke-free Environment Policy on Their Properties
- Horizon Health Network’s Smoke-Free Environment Policy: A Positive Change Moving New Brunswick Towards a Healthier Future. Saint John Regional Hospital First Property to Go Completely Smoke-Fre
Friday, January 25
Theme: Support for friends, colleagues and loved ones on their quit smoking journey
Did you know that there are many ways you can inspire a loved one to live tobacco-free and support them so they succeed in quitting smoking? Solange Arseneau, a nurse counsellor for Vitalité Health Network’s Dieppe and Shediac Smoking Cessation Clinics has some great tips! We asked her to share them with us in this video.
The NBATC loves sharing success stories from individuals, groups and organizations who take action to encourage tobacco and smoke-free living in their homes, schools, workplaces and communities. Here are some of our favourite inspiring stories about how friends and family can inspire their loved ones to live tobacco-free and succeed in quitting smoking:
- It’s Never Too Late to Quit Smoking! Two Inspiring New Brunswick Women Show that Tobacco-Free Living Can be Achieved and Is Worth It for Long-Term Smokers
- Winners of the NBATC’s #SayNoToTobacco Facebook Contest Will Make You Realize How Important It Is to Take Care of Your Lungs
- The Journey Into Motherhood as a Catalyst for Embracing a Healthier Tobacco-Free Lifestyle: Four New Brunswick Women Share Their Story
- A Father and Artist’s Journey to Becoming Smoke-Free: Patrick Hardy’s Story
Tell Us Your Story!
Have you successfully quit smoking? Can you identify the people and places that make up your supportive environment and have helped you succeed in quitting?
Or, if you have always been a non-smoker, perhaps you have people to thank because they inspired you to live tobacco and smoke-free?
National Non-Smoking Week is a great time to share your story! Use our friends at The Wellness Movement’s special app to put together your own video to share on social media and celebrate the people and places that nourish your wellness story.