In Canada, National Non-Smoking Week encourages smokers to quit smoking

The 46^th edition of National Non-Smoking Week (NNSW) is currently taking place in Canada. Celebrated in Quebec under the name Semaine pour un Québec sans tabac, this operation invites smokers to reflect on their consumption and to free themselves from tobacco.

"It's never too late to quit smoking" is this year's motto for Tobacco-Free Quebec Week. Reminding smokers that they have not signed a lifelong contract with tobacco, the Quebec Council on Tobacco and Health (CQTS) invites them to question their consumption and to free themselves from it as soon as possible.[1]The operation is being rolled out in a poster campaign and on television, as well as on the main social networks.[2].

The Week for a Tobacco-Free Quebec Mobilizes Smokers' Entourage

There are many arguments in favor of quitting smoking, whether they are health-related, financial or other. This year, smokers are invited to think about and put an end to smoking, both on and with their entourage. "bad understanding" that they were able to establish with tobacco.

Being able to see his children grow up is, for example, one of the reasons given by Patrice Godin, actor, novelist, ultra-marathoner and spokesperson for the Semaine pour un Québec sans tabac, to explain his own decision to quit smoking.[3]. The operation suggests that those around smokers support them in their project to quit smoking. It also encourages families to engage in dialogue with children and young people about tobacco and nicotine products. As support, the "I Quit" service is offered to smokers who wish to quit smoking.

A gap with the rest of Canada in terms of smoking prevalence and taxes

Quebec records 13,000 annual deaths caused by smoking, or about 20,100 deaths in the province, but nearly 400,000 people suffer from multiple tobacco-related diseases. According to data from Statistics Canada, the prevalence of smoking in 2020 would be 12.3 % smokers in Quebec, compared to 10.3 % (including 8 % daily smokers) for all of Canada.[4]This smoking prevalence has remained stable in Quebec since 2019, while it has decreased by two points nationally.

Quebec also stands out for its delay taken in terms of increasing taxes on tobacco products, which have remained stable for nine years while they have increased in all other provinces of the country. Interpreted as a form of complacency towards the tobacco and vaping industry, the freeze on tobacco taxes, decided by the Quebec government, however, seems to be a bad calculation. The 900 million Canadian $ (€621 million) collected in tobacco taxes are wiped out by the 2.5 billion Canadian $ (€1.72 billion) spent on medical care¹, in the absence of an assessment of other social costs.

Keywords: Canada, SNSF, Quebec, CQTS

©Tobacco Free Generation

M.F.

[1] CQTS, Week for a Tobacco-Free Quebec: Together to End Smoking, published January 12, 2023, accessed January 17, 2023.

[2] Week for a Tobacco-Free Quebec 2023, Quebec without tobacco, consulted on January 17, 2023.

[3] Martel ME, Tobacco-Free Quebec Week Returns for a 46th Year, News, published January 15, 2023, consulted January 17, 2023.

[4] Reid JL, Hammond D, Burkhalter R, Rynard VL. Tobacco Use in Canada: Patterns and Trends, 2022 Edition. Waterloo, ON: University of Waterloo.