Young Adults and Smoking Cessation

Free nicotine replacement therapy 

There are a few programs, listed below, that offer free nicotine replacement therapy. Contact the program directly for up to date information.

STOP on the Road workshops

Region of Waterloo Public Health has partnered with The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health to provide STOP on the Road workshops at various times throughout the year. Eligible smokers will participate in a three-hour educational presentation and will receive free nicotine replacement therapy. Interested smokers can:

• Check the online STOP on the Road schedule or call the STOP Program at 416-535-8501 ext. 34455 to find out if there is a workshop coming up in Waterloo Region

• Call the registration/screening phone number listed on the website to be screened over the phone

Leave the Pack Behind

Leave the Pack Behind helps young adults, aged 18-29, access nicotine replacement therapies through an online ordering system. A free, eight-week treatment course of nicotine replacement therapy patches or gum is offered to eligible young adults while supplies last.

This online program screens the young adult smokers for eligibility and determines the necessary course of treatment. If approved, smokers will receive their nicotine replacement therapy in the mail along with an instruction booklet on how to use the nicotine replacement therapy and various self-help quit resources. Orders can be placed at Leave the Pack Behind.

My Last Dip is a free self-help program designed to help chewing tobacco users quit. The program was developed by researchers at the Oregon Research Institute, who have over 40 years of experience in helping chewers quit tobacco.

Tobacco and cannabis

Mobile phone apps 

• Break it Off is a free downloadable app developed by the Canadian Cancer Society. It contains YouTube videos, tips for quitting, and a Facebook page. Its message is: "Break if off. Stay split up. Get it over with. Move on with life."
• Craving to Quit® is a 21 day mindfulness-based wellness program based on a successful smoking cessation curriculum. It includes an app based program and access to a coach and video support group. Note: there is a cost to this program. First three days are free.
• Crush the Crave is a free, easy-to-use Android mobile app designed at the University of Waterloo. This app keeps people on track by reminding them of how much money they have saved and how much their health has improved by not smoking. 

Other support options

• Book an appointment to talk about quitting with a health-care provider (e.g. nurse practitioner, physician, nurse, pharmacist and counsellor)

• Smokers' Helpline Online and Text Messaging (18 years+) gives access to online quit groups, sends out email messages to help with the quitting process, and keeps track of your progress. Sign up by texting iQuit to 123456. Provider text message rates may apply

• Quit Run Chill is a free, web program for smokers and ex-smokers. The program is based on the assumption that almost everyone wants to be a bit healthier

• Quit Now Men is a website specifically for men thinking about quitting smoking 

• Trades, Tobacco and Toxins deals with the health risks of the trades workers who smoke; cigarette smoke interacts with other workplace toxins and creates health problems in addition to those created by tobacco smoke alone 

Self-help information

• Leave the Pack Behind - Quit Smoking Booklets are evidence-based self-help guides for smokers who want to quit, are thinking about quitting, are ready to quit, or would like to help a friend quit. 
• Youth and Young Adult Tobacco Cessation Resource List - a list of available resources that provide support with quitting or cutting down.