Thursday, January 23, 2014
Grey Bruce Health Unit
STOP Program: Support for Ontario Smokers Who Wish to Quit
For many smokers, the cost of nicotine replacement products can be a barrier to quitting. The STOP (Smoking Treatment for Ontario Patients) Program workshop offers eligible participants in Grey Bruce five weeks of free nicotine replacement therapy and smoking cessation information to help them in their quit attempt.
Nicotine replacement therapy has been shown to effectively help people quit smoking by easing withdrawal symptoms. Workshop participants also receive educational material with quit smoking and relapse prevention strategies. Eight STOP workshops will be held in communities across Grey Bruce between January and May 2014. For more information, to see if you are eligible to participate and to register for a workshop, call Jason Weppler at the Grey Bruce Health Unit, 519-376-9420 ext 1408.
Questionnaires administered pre- and post-treatment will help STOP Program researchers learn more about the long-term impact of providing nicotine replacement therapy and other smoking cessation aids free of charge to smokers. To date, results for STOP participants have shown an improvement of at least two times the typical quit rates.
Background: The STOP Program
Introduced in 2005, the STOP Program is led by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), and is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care as part of its Smoke-Free Ontario Strategy. The STOP Program has provided smoking cessation medication, free of charge, along with behavioural support to 90,000 Ontarians.
For more information visit:
https://www.nicotinedependenceclinic.com/English/stop/Pages/Home.aspx
Media Contacts:
Jason Weppler
STOP Program
Grey Bruce Health Unit
519-376-9420 or 1-800-263-3456 ext 1408
J.Weppler@publichealthgreybruce.on.ca
Michael Torres
Media Relations
CAMH
416-595-6015
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