Seniors, Wellness and Social Development
January 21, 2015

The following statement was read today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Seniors, Wellness and Social Development:

Weedless Wednesday Provides Opportunity to Quit Smoking

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to note that today is Weedless Wednesday, an annual event held during National Non-Smoking Week in Canada. The purpose of Weedless Wednesday is to encourage smokers to stop smoking today, and to let it be the start of a process of quitting for good.

Sooner or Later, Everybody Quits is the theme of National Non-Smoking Week, with the point being that smokers may want to choose their own quit date, before it's chosen for them.

Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health. It can also be a very difficult process - and it doesn't always happen with the first attempt. We recognize that, Mr. Speaker. That is why, as a government, we will continue to support programs and services designed to help people quit smoking, and to prevent them from ever starting.

Mr. Speaker, this past October, we launched a $700,000 Provincial Smoking Cessation Program for Individuals with Low Income, which allows adults who meet eligibility requirements under the Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Program to have access to two smoking cessation medications (Champix or Zyban) to help them in their effort to quit. The province also supports the Alliance for the Control of Tobacco and the Newfoundland and Labrador Lung Association's Provincial Smokers' Helpline, which hears from about 1,400 individual callers each year.

Tobacco control in Newfoundland and Labrador takes a comprehensive approach that includes public education, legislation, school and community policies and programs, and the taxation of tobacco products. And we are seeing positive results, Mr. Speaker.

The rate of smoking in this province has decreased from 29 per cent in 1999 to 20 per cent for those aged 15 and older. While this is still high, the good news is that the rate among young people aged 15-19 has gone from almost 30 per cent to just over 12 per cent, while the rate for those aged 20-24 has gone from about 38 per cent to 24 per cent.

This is encouraging, Mr. Speaker - because we know that a healthier population today means a reduced burden on the health care system tomorrow. But more importantly, it means an increased opportunity for individuals to live longer, happier, healthier lives.

I invite my colleagues in this House to join me in recognizing Weedless Wednesday and to provide whatever support they can to family members and friends who are trying to quit.

2015 01 21                              2:20 p.m.