This new program helps Nova Scotians quit smoking
Within one week, 400 seats in an online program to quit smoking were completely booked.
The Lung Association of Nova Scotia, which is hosting the program, says it highlights the need for better solutions to kick the habit.
“We know that the majority of smokers want to quit smoking,” says Robert MacDonald, president and CEO of the Lung Association of Nova Scotia.
“Therefore, we want to provide an opportunity for support to enable them to quit smoking.”
The Quit Nova Scotia program started in January during the national non-smoking week. It provides nicotine replacement therapy, like patches, lozenges, or gum, to smokers.
MacDonald says discussions with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, which offers a similar program nationally, inspired the lung association to do something like it in Nova Scotia.
Participants fill out an online survey that determines their level of addiction. If they meet the eligibility requirements, participants get a package in the mail with a four-week supply of nicotine replacement therapy — all for free.
It also includes information on local resources, like counsellors specialized in smoking cessation.
“We currently have a waitlist of over 500 people,” said MacDonald. “The response has been overwhelming, and it indicates that Nova Scotians do want to quit, they just need some supports.”
He says the group wants to meet with the Nova Scotia Health Authority and public health to make that happen.
“We’re happy that we were able to do this for 400 Nova Scotians, but we want to take this program, this approach, and see if it can be developed at a larger scale.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police clear pro-Palestinian protesters from Columbia University while clashes break out at UCLA
The pro-Palestinian demonstration that paralyzed Columbia University ended in dramatic fashion, with police carrying riot shields bursting into a building that protesters took over the previous night and making dozens of arrests. On the other side of the country, clashes broke out early Wednesday between duelling groups at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Poilievre kicked out of Commons after calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'wacko'
Testy exchanges between the prime minister and his chief opponent ended with the Opposition leader and one of his MPs being ejected from the House of Commons on Tuesday -- and the rest of Conservative caucus walking out of the chamber in protest.
WATCH Moose strolls through Fredericton
A Fredericton woman is awe-struck after seeing a moose stroll down a city street on Tuesday.
Baby, grandparents among 4 people killed in wrong-way police chase on Ontario's Hwy. 401
A police chase which started with a liquor store robbery in Bowmanville Monday night ended in tragedy some 20 minutes later when a suspect fleeing police entered Highway 401 in the wrong direction and caused a pileup which killed an infant and the child's grandparents, as well as the suspect, investigators say.
WATCH Arnold Schwarzenegger spotted filming in Elora, Ont.
The name of the project has not been officially released although it’s widely believed to be the Netflix series FUBAR.
Freeland leaves capital gains tax change out of coming budget implementation bill, here's why
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
Sword-wielding man attacks passersby in London, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring 4 others
A man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and police officers in a northeast London suburb Tuesday, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring four other people, British authorities said.
Man dies after suffering cardiac arrest while waiting in ER, widow wants investigation
When an ambulance took David Lippert to the hospital in March of 2023, the 68-year-old Kitchener, Ont., executive was hoping to find out why he was feeling weak and unable to walk. Some 24 hours later, he was found unresponsive in the ER.
CSE says it shared information on Chinese hacking of parliamentarians in 2022
While several MPs and senators say they were only recently made aware of China-backed hackers targeting them, the Communications Security Establishment, one of Canada's intelligence agencies, says it shared information about the incident with parliamentary officials in June of 2022.