(WHAS11) The Metro Health Department has launched a new campaign using text messages as a way to get teens to stop smoking; and they’ve recruited members of the group Nappy Roots to help spread the word.
Nappy Roots group members B-Stille and Clutch stopped by the WHAS11 studios on Thursday to give us more information about this campaign.
(NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY) – Local residents who want to quit smoking can take advantage of the counseling support and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) provided to them free-of-charge by the STOP program.
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), in partnership with the Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport, is working with the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit to roll out the STOP (Smoking Treatment for Ontario Patients) Program in Northumberland County. STOP is an initiative that aims to reduce tobacco smoking in Ontario by increasing the use of effective smoking cessation medication and other resources.
“Sometimes people are reluctant to quit smoking because of the cost of NRT. With our program we eliminate the barrier to treatment and enable people to begin the quitting process so they may be able to prevent the onset of serious illnesses brought on by smoking,” says Dr. Peter Selby, CAMH’s Clinical Director of Addiction Programs and Principal Investigator of the STOP Study.
In addition to providing free nicotine replacement therapy such as nicotine patches, gum, inhaler or lozenge, STOP will offer educational material to encourage program participants to make broader changes that can improve their overall health. Often smoking does not occur in isolation, but rather accompanies other risk factors for disease, such as poor nutrition and lack of physical activity.
"Smokers who are ready to quit smoking frequently need support, and we are ensuring that they have access to effective support to help them along the way,” says Margarett Best, Ontario’s Minister of Health Promotion and Sport.
Smokers in Northumberland County who want to quit are encouraged to take part in the STOP program by attending any of the upcoming workshops being held in:
Campbellford on Wednesday, December 15, from 6 to 9 pmBrighton on Thursday, December 16, from noon to 3 pm Port Hope on Thursday, December 16, from 6 to 9 pmTo learn more and see if they qualify for the STOP Program, smokers can call the Health Unit at (905) 885-9100, ext. 329, or toll-free at 1-866-888-4577, ext. 329.
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada’s leading addiction and mental health teaching hospital. Integrating clinical care, scientific research, education, policy development and health promotion, CAMH transforms the lives of people impacted by mental health and addiction issues.
Print![[P]](/printer1.gif "Printer-friendly page"){kind=small}
Footnote: Written by: Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit 