National Non-Smoking Week: Pathways to quitting or reducing commercial tobacco

January 22, 2024News releases

Explore our new resources to help reduce the harms associated with smoking commercial tobacco or cannabis products.

National Non-Smoking Week and Weedless Wednesday are taking place this week, making it the perfect time to honour your wellness by reflecting on your relationship with commercial tobacco and cannabis products. This week in particular, we encourage everyone to take action to reduce the harms of smoking by cutting back or quitting, or to provide support to those starting or re-visiting their quitting journey.

To celebrate the week, we are excited to share
new resources to support First Nations people who are curious about quitting commercial tobacco or cannabis products or looking to help others with their quitting journey. In addition to our existing resources, you can now find information on:

Tips to support youth to quit or reduce vaping. A guide for parents and communities about vaping and how you can support the youth in your family or community.
Talking with youth about smoking or vaping. A short informational handout with additional resources for quitting or reducing the harms of commercial tobacco and vaping.
What you need to know about cannabis concentrates. Health information on cannabis concentrates, also known as dabs, shatter and hash oil.
Tobacco: The sacred medicine. Learn about the role traditional tobacco plays in many Indigenous cultures, including respectful ways to use tobacco.

Looking for a little extra motivation to start your quitting journey?

Did you know that people who smoke commercial tobacco are more likely to quit in January than any other month? That’s right—there’s no better time to start your journey to quitting or reducing commercial tobacco or cannabis products than now.

Here are four tips to help you get started:

1. Make a plan to help you quit. Create a vision of what your health and your life can look like with less smoke or vapor in it. Then, think about specific changes you will need to make to get you there. This can include taking your smokes out of your car, setting a “quit date”, only smoking or vaping in a designated area or other mindful practices to support you on your journey.

2. Be aware of your triggers. Smoking or vaping is very habitual, and being aware of when you tend to smoke or vape can help you be prepared to change these behaviors. These triggers can include, stress, boredom, social situations or specific times of day, like after dinner. Make a plan for how you will cope with each situation—you might need to ask your friends and loved ones not to offer you a smoke after dinner, or replace your stress vape with a soothing cup of tea.

3. Get professional support. Talk Tobacco is a free, quit coaching program available for all Indigenous people in BC to help make a quit plan and stick to your goals. Nicotine replacement therapy and prescription medications can also help. Learn more about the supports available to you
here.

4. Small changes can add up. Remember every quit attempt is a step towards the future you envisioned. If you quit for an hour, a day or week, this is a success and a chance to learn what strategies can work for you.

More resources

Visit the links below to find more information on tobacco, non-medical cannabis, supports available to you and more.

If you are interested in smoke-free signage like the example shown here, please email
respectingtobacco@fnha.ca.

National Non-Smoking Week: Pathways to quitting or reducing commercial tobacco

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