Home Health Care Professionals   

• A A A
• Français

• About Becel
• Becel or Butter?
• Common Margarine Myths

• Products
  • Original
  • Light
  • with Bertolli Olive Oil
  • Buttery Taste
  • pro.activ®
  • 64% less
  • Salt-free
  • Vegan
  • Omega3 plus
  • Topping & Cooking Spray
  • Oil
• Which Becel is Right for You?

• Manage your Heart Health
• Keeping your Heart Healthy
  • Eating Well
  • Stay Active
  • Managing Stress
• Women & Heart Disease
  • Facts about Women and Heart Disease
  • Becel & The Heart Truth
  • Small Steps to Love Your Heart
• Understanding your Risks
  • Blood Pressure
  • Weight Management
  • Diabetes
  • Smoking

• Cholesterol Advice
• Cholesterol 101
• Helping To Lower Your Cholesterol
• Plant Sterols Lower Your Cholesterol
• Becel pro.activ®
• Becel pro.activ® FAQs

• Recipes
  • Soups, Salads, and Appetizers
  • Vegetable and Side Dishes
  • Meat and Poultry
  • Fish and Seafood
  • Beans and Meatless Mains
  • Pasta and Grains
  • Baking and Fruit Deserts

• Tools & resources
• Heart Age Tool
• Activity Calculator
• Fact Sheets
• Glossary of Heart Health Terms

• Site map
• Contact us
• Accessibility
• Terms of use
• Privacy policy

Smoking Cessation

Why should I stop smoking?

It is never too late to stop smoking. Before you even try to stop, it’s important to think about what you stand to gain.

We all know about the long-term health benefits of giving up smoking, but many people are surprised by how soon some of the benefits kick in. Here are some of the most common benefits you might experience – in the short and long term.

Within hours ...

• Get your breath back! Smokers often become short of breath more quickly than non-smokers. This is because smoking hampers the body’s capacity to carry oxygen. The good news? This effect can disappear within hours of stopping smoking.

Within days ...

• Boost your lungs’ natural protection against chest infections and the effects of pollution. Smoking kills microscopic hairs in the lungs that push out pollutants and other bacteria. These hairs grow back quickly and start working properly within days of quitting smoking.
• Don’t be surprised if you experience a cough in the days after quitting. This is a sign that the hairs are growing back and pushing out the toxins that have settled in the lungs – perhaps for months or even years!
• Boost your body’s defence against coughs, colds and other viruses. Smoking reduces the body’s ability to fight off infection. This damaging effect can stop within days of stopping smoking.
• Rediscover the joy of food! Smoking interferes with the senses of taste and smell, making food less enjoyable. These senses begin to return a few days after stopping smoking.

Within weeks ...

• Freshen up! The smell of cigarettes is a turnoff. It clings to your hair, your clothes and your furniture. What’s more, no one wants to inhale second-hand smoke.

Within months ...

• See how much money you’ve saved! Smoking is expensive. If you normally smoke 15 cigarettes a day – you will have saved about $134 every month – that’s $1,600 a year.
• Look younger! Smoking can increase the appearance of facial wrinkles, often making smokers look older than non-smokers of the same age. Not only can you live longer as a result of stopping smoking, you can look younger as you do. The colour of your skin will also improve.

In the long run ...

Add years to your life expectancy! Smoking about 10 cigarettes a day reduces life expectancy by between 1 and 3 years; smoking 20 a day reduces it by between 5 and 7 years; smoking 40 a day reduces it by an average of between 8 and10 years.

The sooner you stop the greater the benefits can be

You can reverse the health risks of smoking pretty quickly. Five years of being smoke-free substantially reduces the risk of smoking related diseases, such as heart disease and cancers of the lung, throat, stomach, breast and bladder. By ten years, it is almost as if you had never smoked. Quitting even in middle or older age can help you avoid the later excess risk of death from tobacco.

Thinking about quitting? Be sure to talk to your doctor and visit www.heartandstroke.ca for more smoking cessation advice.

Need More Information?

If you need further support and advice visit http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/tobac-tabac/quit-cesser/info/index_e.html.

Newfoundland and Labrador Quitline Profile
Name of quitline	Newfoundland and Labrador Smokers' Helpline
Provincial phone number	1-800-363-5864
Website URL	http://www.smokershelp.net/
Date services began	January 2000
Hours of operation	For incoming calls: 9:00 am - 9:00 pm, Monday to Thursday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Friday 24/7 voicemail
Languages	English
Quitline service provider	The Lung Association of Newfoundland and Labrador
Quitline funder	Health Canada
Quitline services offered	Speak with a counsellor within hours of service Mailed information or self-help resources Proactive quit smoking counselling Reactive quit smoking counselling Referral to other services
Geographical area served	Province-wide

New Brunswick Quitline Profile
Name of quitline	New Brunswick Smokers' Helpline
Provincial phone number	1-877-513-5333
Website URL	n/a
Date services began	October 2002
Hours of operation	For incoming calls: 9:00 am - 10:00 pm, Monday to Thursday 9:00 am - 7:00 pm, Friday 10:00 am - 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 24/7 voicemail
Languages	English, French
Quitline service provider	Canadian Cancer Society
Quitline funder	Health Canada
Quitline services offered	Speak with a counsellor within hours of service Mailed information or self-help resources Proactive quit smoking counselling with scheduled follow-up Reactive quit smoking counselling Referral to other services
Geographical area served	Province-wide

Nova Scotia Quitline Profile
Name of quitline	Nova Scotia Smokers' Helpline
Provincial phone number	1-877-513-5333
Website URL	n/a
Date services began	October 2002
Hours of operation	For incoming calls: 9:00 am - 10:00 pm, Monday to Thursday 9:00 am - 7:00 pm, Friday 10:00am - 6:00 pm, Saturday and Sunday 24/7 voicemail
Languages	English, French
Quitline service provider	Canadian Cancer Society
Quitline funder	Health Canada
Quitline services offered	Speak with a counsellor within hours of service Mailed information or self-help resources Proactive quit smoking counselling with scheduled follow-up Reactive quit smoking counselling Referral to other services
Geographical area served	Province-wide

Prince Edward Island Quitline Profile
Name of quitline	Prince Edward Island Smokers' Helpline
Provincial phone number	1-888-818-6300
Website URL	n/a
Date services began	2000
Hours of operation	For incoming calls: 9:00 am - 10:00 pm, Monday to Thursday 9:00 am - 7:00 pm, Friday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Saturday and Sunday 24/7 voicemail
Languages	English, French
Quitline service provider	Canadian Cancer Society
Quitline funder	Health Canada
Quitline services offered	Speak with a counsellor within hours of service Group cessation programs Mailed information or self-help resources Proactive quit smoking counselling with scheduled follow-up Reactive quit smoking counselling Referral to other services
Geographical area served	Province-wide

Québec Quitline Profile
Name of quitline	Ligne j'Arrête!
Provincial phone number	1 866 jarrête (527-7383)
Website URL	www.jarrete.qc.ca
Date services began	January 2002
Hours of operation	For incoming calls: 8:00 am to 9:00 pm, Monday to Thursday 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Friday 24/7 voicemail 24/7 voicemail For counseling assistance: 8:00 am to 9:00 pm, Monday to Thursday 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Friday
Languages	French, English
Quitline service provider	Canadian Cancer Society and Conseil québécois sur le tabac et la santé
Quitline funder	Ministère de la santé et des services sociaux
Quitline services offered	Speak with a counsellor within hours of service Mailed information or self-help resources Proactive quit smoking counselling with scheduled follow-up Reactive quit smoking counselling Referral to other services Email information and support Online chat Quit to Win Challenge
Geographical area served	Province-wide

Ontario Quitline Profile
Name of quitline	Ontario Smokers' Helpline
Provincial phone number	1-877-513-5333
Website URL	www.smokershelpline.ca
Date services began	April 2000
Hours of operation	For incoming calls: 8:00 am - 9:00 pm, Monday to Thursday 8:00 am - 6:00 pm, Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Saturday and Sunday 24/7 voicemail
Languages	English, French
Quitline service provider	Canadian Cancer Society
Quitline funder	Government of Ontario
Quitline services offered	Speak with a counsellor within hours of service Mailed information or self-help resources Proactive quit smoking counselling with scheduled follow-up Reactive quit smoking counselling Referral to other services
Geographical area served	Province-wide

Manitoba Quitline Profile
Name of quitline	Manitoba Smokers' Helpline
Provincial phone number	1-877-513-5333
Website URL	n/a
Date services began	April 2003
Hours of operation	For incoming calls: 8:00 am - 8:00 pm, Monday to Thursday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, Saturday and Sunday 24/7 voicemail
Languages	English, French
Quitline service provider	Canadian Cancer Society
Quitline funder	Health Canada
Quitline services offered	Speak with a counsellor within hours of service Mailed information or self-help resources Proactive quit smoking counselling with scheduled follow-up Reactive quit smoking counselling Referral to other services
Geographical area served	Province-wide

Saskatchewan Quitline Profile
Name of quitline	Saskatchewan Smokers' Helpline
Provincial phone number	1-877-513-5333
Website URL	n/a
Date services began	April 2003
Hours of operation	For incoming calls: 7:00 am - 7:00 pm, Monday to Thursday 7:00 am - 4:00 pm, Friday 7:00 am - 3:00 pm, Saturday and Sunday 24/7 voicemail
Languages	English, French
Quitline service provider	Canadian Cancer Society & Heart and Stroke Foundation
Quitline funder	Health Canada
Quitline services offered	Speak with a counsellor within hours of service Mailed information or self-help resources Proactive quit smoking counselling with scheduled follow-up Reactive quit smoking counselling Referral to other services
Geographical area served	Province-wide

Alberta Quitline Profile
Name of quitline	Alberta Smokers' Helpline
Provincial phone number	1-866-332-2322
Website URL	n/a
Date services began	2002
Hours of operation	For incoming calls: 8:00 am - 8:00 pm , 7 days a week
Languages	English
Quitline service provider	Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission
Quitline funder	Government of Alberta
Quitline services offered	Speak with a counsellor within hours of service Web-based information Mailed information or self-help resources Proactive quit smoking counselling with scheduled follow-up Reactive quit smoking counselling Referral to other services
Geographical area served	Province-wide

British Columbia Quitline Profile
Name of quitline	Quit Now By Phone
Provincial phone number	1-877-455-2233
Website URL	www.quitnow.ca
Date services began	2000
Hours of operation	For incoming calls: 24/7
Languages	English, French + 121 other languages
Quitline service provider	Clinidata (non-governmental organization)
Quitline funder	BC Ministry of Health Planning
Quitline services offered	Speak with a counsellor within hours of service Mailed information or self-help resources Proactive quit smoking counselling with scheduled follow-up Reactive quit smoking counselling Referral to other services
Geographical area served	Province-wide

Yukon Quitline Profile
Name of quitline	Quit Now By Phone
Provincial phone number	1-800-661-0408 (x 8393)
Website URL
Date services began
Hours of operation
Languages
Quitline service provider
Quitline funder	BC Ministry of Health Planning
Quitline services offered
Geographical area served

Northwest Territories Quitline Profile
Name of quitline	Quit Now By Phone
Provincial phone number	Call your public health unit, or 1-800-O-Canada
Website URL
Date services began
Hours of operation
Languages
Quitline service provider
Quitline funder	BC Ministry of Health Planning
Quitline services offered
Geographical area served

Nunavut Quitline Profile
Name of quitline	Quit Now By Phone
Provincial phone number	1-866-877-3845
Website URL
Date services began
Hours of operation
Languages
Quitline service provider
Quitline funder	BC Ministry of Health Planning
Quitline services offered
Geographical area served

Or order your copy of “On the Road to Quitting - Guide to Becoming a Non-Smoker” at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/pubs/tobac-tabac/orq-svr/index_e.html.