What if you could cut your risk of cancer, stroke, and heart attack by more than any drug on the market 1, all while breathing easier? How about maintaining youthful skin 2 and whiter teeth 3 at the same time? You could achieve all these and more by quitting smoking.
If you smoke, you’ve likely considered quitting. You should. You will be healthier, no matter how long you have smoked. It is never too late: even long-term smokers quitting above the age of 65 are expected to gain a year of life by doing so – the gains in longevity are greater the earlier you quit 4. The health benefits are too many to list and start to be noticed as soon as 20 minutes after your last cigarette 5. But everyone knows that quitting is hard. The first two weeks are the hardest. What not everyone knows is that there are many ways to make it easier.
Nicotine-based products such as gum, lozenges, patches, and sprays are widely available and have demonstrated the ability to increase your chances of quitting. Varenicline is a newer therapy option which has been shown to have even more benefit at producing long-term cessation and can be prescribed by doctors and pharmacists in Manitoba. Pharmacological treatments have been demonstrated to significantly increase your chances of quitting but certain things like nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes have not been shown to produce these benefits 6.
Healthy lifestyle changes are also important. Having a healthy snack available can help with hand-to-mouth habits. Increasing your activity level with things that you enjoy can help build new routines and mitigate any weight gain and stress. Spending more time with non-smoking individuals can help you stay connected. Talk to your healthcare providers and people in your life 7.
Ready to quit? Reach out for help. There are several resources available to help you get started, like Quit Smoking with your Manitoba Pharmacist (https://www.quitsmokingmb.ca/), the Manitoba Tobacco Quit Card & Counselling Program (https://sharedhealthmb.ca/services/primary-care/quit-smoking/), or the Commit to Quit program (https://wrha.mb.ca/groups/commit-to-quit/).
References:
- Mir H, Eisenberg MJ, Benowitz NL, et al. Canadian Cardiovascular Society Clinical Practice Update on Contemporary Approaches to Smoking Cessation. Can J Cardiol. 2025;41(5):797-812. doi:10.1016/j.cjca.2024.12.037
- Langton AK, Tsoureli-Nikita E, Merrick H, et al. The systemic influence of chronic smoking on skin structure and mechanical function. J Pathol. 2020;251(4):420-428. doi:10.1002/path.5476
- More AB, Rodrigues A, Sadhu BJ. Effects of smoking on oral health: Awareness among dental patients and their attitude towards its cessation. Indian J Dent Res. 2021;32(1):23-26. doi:10.4103/ijdr.IJDR_711_18
- Le TTT, Mendez D, Warner KE. The Benefits of Quitting Smoking at Different Ages. Am J Prev Med. 2024;67(5):684-688. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2024.06.020
- Health Canada. Quit with confidence: Deciding to quit [internet]. June 28, 2024. Available from: www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/smoking-tobacco/quit-smoking.html. Accessed October 13, 2025.
- Thombs BD, Traversy G, Reynolds DL, et al. Recommendations on interventions for tobacco smoking cessation in adults in Canada. CMAJ. 2025;197(28):E846-E861. Published 2025 Aug 24. doi:10.1503/cmaj.241584
- Canadian Pharmacists Association. Tips to SET Yourself Up for Success. October 2024. Available from: https://www.pharmacists.ca/cpha-ca/assets/File/smoking-cessation/Tips-to-SET-Yourself-Up-for-Success_EN.pdf. Accessed October 13, 2025.