Many people trying BC’s free program to quit smoking
Posted October 6, 2012 10:37 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – It appears plenty of us are trying to quit smoking in BC. Many people have joined the province’s free program to kick the habit.
A year after it was introduced, Health Minister Dr. Margaret MacDiarmid says almost 150,000 British Columbians have signed up for free drugs, nicotine gum, or patches to try to quit smoking.
“We’ve heard from individuals who said it’s been life-changing,” she tells us. “People who got advice from their doctor [saying they] thought they would be dead within a year if they didn’t stop smoking, and those kinds of things.”
MacDiarmid notes some smokers quit several times before ditching the habit for good.
The health ministry says more than 11,000 people have also signed for QuitNow web, phone, and text support; there is also a chatline to help people quit smoking. If you smoke and want to try the free medication, patches, and gum program, call 8-1-1.
