The following information refers to commercial tobacco use (e.g. smoking cigarettes, pipes or cigars, vaping, chewing or snuffing tobacco, etc.) and not tobacco for traditional purposes (e.g. ceremonies).
Stopping or cutting back on your tobacco use is one of the best things you can do for your health. Tobacco use is one of the leading causes of preventable illness and death. There are many well-documented risks to your health. More than twenty diseases and conditions are linked to tobacco use including lung cancer, throat cancer, other forms of cancer, respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular diseases.
There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke. Nicotine, carcinogens, and toxic chemicals found in tobacco smoke are inhaled when people breathe in second-hand smoke.
It is never too late to stop using tobacco. Tobacco cessation supports and services are available throughout Nova Scotia for individuals who would like to cut back or stop their tobacco use.
If you are interested in stopping or cutting back on your tobacco use:
- The best approach to stopping smoking is to combine counselling with medications.
- There are many medications to help with stopping smoking. They include nicotine replacement therapy such as the nicotine patch, gum, lozenge, and inhaler, varenicline tartrate (Champix®) and bupropion HCl (Zyban®).
- Champix® and Zyban® are covered by some Nova Scotia Pharmacare Programs. Contact your community pharmacy to see if you qualify.
To talk to a quit specialist at Tobacco Free Nova Scotia:
To register for a Stop Smoking Program, call the Intake Service line:
- Central Zone (Halifax area, Eastern Shore and West Hants): 1-855-922-1122
- Eastern Zone (Cape Breton area): 1-877-567-0632
- Eastern Zone (Guysborough, Antigonish and Strait area): 1-888-291-3535
- Northern Zone (Colchester East Hants Health Centre): 902-893-5526 ext. 42297
- Northern Zone (Cumberland Mental Health Services): 902-667-3879
- Northern Zone (Pictou Community Health Centre): 902-775-1288
- Northern Zone (Lloyd E. Matheson Centre): 902-883-0295
- Western Zone (Chipman Building): 1-855-273-7110
- Western Zone (Dawson Centre): 1-877-334-3431
- Western Zone (Yarmouth Regional Hospital): 902-742-4222
All Nova Scotia Health Authority properties are smoke-free and vapour-free.For patients who want to manage nicotine withdrawal symptoms or stop smoking during their hospital stay, we offer free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) gum and patches. If you are admitted to hospital and are interested in using NRT during your stay, please let your nurse know during the admitting process..
