Quit Smoking

The following information applies to quitting all tobacco products. The list of health risks from smoking is long, but the benefits of quitting are immediate. Here is what research shows:

20 minutes after quitting: your heart rate drops.
12 hours after quitting: carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.
2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: your heart attack risk begins to drop and your lung function begins to improve.
1 to 9 months after quitting: your coughing and shortness of breath decrease.
1 year after quitting: your added risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker's.
5 years after quitting: your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker's.
10 years after quitting: your lung cancer death rate is about half that of a smoker's and your risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases.
15 years after quitting: your risk of coronary heart disease is back to that of a nonsmoker's.

Ways to quit smoking

The most effective way to quit smoking is to use a combination of counselling and medication.

Connect with Health 811 for one-to-one support to help you quit smoking.
Talk to your health care provider or pharmacist, or connect with an Employee Assistance Program about quitting smoking.
Mental health professionals can help you quit smoking. Find a service provider. Services may be covered under some insurance plans. Costs will vary.
Quash is a judgment-free app to help youth quit smoking or vaping.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and other quit smoking medications
Smokers' Helpline offers tips, tools and support. This 24/7 service is free.

Quit-smoking medications

Nicotine replacement therapy

Nicotine replacement therapy can double your chances of quitting smoking for good. You don't need a prescription since it is available over the counter. If you work, your employer's health plan may offer coverage. If you don't have coverage, you must pay for it yourself since there is no government coverage for nicotine replacement therapy.

Talk to your health-care provider about which nicotine replacement therapy might work best for you. The different kinds of nicotine replacement therapy include:

Patch
Gum
Inhaler
Lozenges
Mouth spray

Free nicotine replacement therapy

Smoking Treatment for Ontario Patients (STOP) provides smoking cessation treatment and counselling to individuals 18 years of age and older across Ontario who want to quit smoking.

Eligible smokers can participate in a new online smoking cessation program by self-registering online at STOP on the Net. Through this program, you will be mailed up to four weeks of free nicotine feplacement therapy products. Enrollment will be open until quantities last.

If you are not eligible to participate, contact Health811 for free smoking cessation counselling and support or visit Smokers' Helpline.

Nicotine pouches

Visit our Tobacco, Vaping and Nicotine Products page for more information on nicotine pouches.

Other medications

Talk to your health care provider to find out if you can use prescription medication to help you quit smoking. The Centre for Mental Health and Addiction has information on other quit-smoking medications.

If you are eligible for the Ontario Drug Benefit Program, these medications may be covered for you. For more information, visit Ontario's Support to quit smoking page.

Cytisine is a natural health product and does not require a prescription from a health care provider. Cytisine is an alkaloid that occurs naturally in several plants and works to help block receptors in the brain that bind with nicotine to help reduce cravings in smokers. Cravv® is the only Cytisine natural health product approved by Health Canada and can be purchased at www.zpharm.ca and in select pharmacies across Canada.

Coverage for quit-smoking medications

People eligible for the Ontario Drug Benefit Program can receive a 12-week course of prescription quit-smoking medication once per year. For more information visit Ontario's Support to quit smoking page.

Quitting before or during pregnancy

Visit our pregnancy and substance use page for information on quitting smoking or tobacco products before or during pregnancy.

Creating a quit plan

Get ready

Set a quit date and stick to it.
Make a list of your reasons for quitting.
Think about past quit attempts (what worked and what did not work).
Understand why you smoke and recognize what the triggers are; track this information for a few days by using a simple tracking sheet.

Get support and encouragement

Tell your family, friends and co-workers that you are quitting.
Talk to a health care provider, pharmacist or mental health professional about quitting strategies.
Visit Smoker's Helpline.
Connect with Health811.

Learn new behaviours

When you first try to quit, you will need to change your daily routine (e.g. cut down or avoid caffeine and alcohol; stay away from people who are smokers; avoid places where you used to smoke).

You should also decide what to do to cope with trigger situations or cravings. Try the "four Ds":

drink water
delay smoking - the craving will pass
distract yourself by doing something else
deep breathing for three to five minutes

Be prepared for relapse or difficult situations

If you slip and have a cigarette, don't worry; remind yourself of the reasons for quitting and stick with them.
Plan for withdrawal symptoms; these are signs that your body is becoming healthier.
Practice the four "D"s mentioned above.
Use your experience from previous quit attempts to help you cope.
Stay connected with your support networks (e.g. Smoker's Helpline, a quit buddy, family and friends).