Alberta Health Services (AHS) said it will be assisting people in stopping smoking with a public awareness campaign. .National Non-Smoking Week runs from Sunday to Jan. 23, and this year’s theme is Sometimes People Love a Quitter, according to a Monday press release. The release said AHS is reminding people of the resources available to them to help quit and raise awareness about the health risks associated with tobacco. .More than 4,000 Albertans die because of tobacco use every year, while tens of thousands more have serious tobacco-related illnesses affecting their quality of life. .The release said the campaign will inform people commercial tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease, disability, and premature death in Alberta and increases the risk of heart disease, lung cancer, oral cancers, chronic lung disease, diabetes, and other illnesses. It said this initiative will talk about how quitting tobacco is one of the best ways to improve health and well-being..AHS has programs and services to help people quit. These include the AlbertaQuits Helpline for one-on-one telephone counselling, ABQuits to give tips and motivational messaging to help people quit, albertaquits.ca to provide information and tools for preparing people to, QuitCore to offer group support for the strategies and skills needed, and cessation medications available through people’s doctors. .The release said information and resources are available at health clinics, pharmacies, and dental offices in many communities and AHS locations. .The 2021 Canadian Community Health Survey said tobacco use has been declining in the population for the past 20 years. .This campaign comes after the New Zealand government passed the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill into law on December 13, which will bar young people from buying tobacco and is set to save thousands of lives. .READ MORE: New Zealand imposes lifetime ban on young people buying cigarettes.“This legislation accelerates progress towards a smoke free future,” said New Zealand Associate Health Minister Ayesha Verrall. .Verrall said the main changes the bill makes are reducing the amount of nicotine allowed in smoking tobacco products, decreasing the number of retailers selling tobacco, and ensuring it is not sold to anyone born in or after 2009.
