Government of Canada supports at-risk Canadians to prevent and reduce tobacco use

Reducing and preventing tobacco use can lower the risk of tobacco-related chronic diseases

OTTAWA, ON, May 31, 2022 /CNW/ - Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of premature death and disease in Canada and can increase the risk of chronic disease. At-risk populations across the country, such as individuals who are from lower socioeconomic households, racialized, or Indigenous peoples, experience even higher rates of tobacco use and greater tobacco-related health gaps.

Today, Adam van Koeverden, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, announced an investment of over $1.6M in funding for five organizations to promote the prevention and cessation of tobacco use across Canada, with a focus on populations at higher risk. This investment will support:

• The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health with $146,411 to design smoking cessation services focused on supporting Black communities in Toronto to reduce the harms associated with tobacco use and increased risk of chronic disease.
• The Association for Action on Smoking and Health (AASH) with $528,132 to work on preventing and reducing commercial tobacco use among First Nations communities in Alberta. The project will focus on holistic Indigenous-centred knowledge, sustainable processes, community-driven methods, interventions aligned with population health approaches, and the implementation of evidence-informed, culturally-centered concepts.
• The Lung Association of Saskatchewan with $389,170 to engage with First Nations youth and young adults both on and off-reserve in designing an approach to address tobacco misuse. The project will focus on education and prevention, support to quit, and public advocacy.
• The Lung Association of Nova Scotia with $284,759 to create a flexible evidenced-based tobacco cessation program to meet the unique needs of priority populations in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
• Lakehead University with $302,413 to increase access and uptake of evidence-based tobacco cessation interventions by priority populations and to identify tobacco intervention needs within these populations.

These investments align with the objectives of Canada's Tobacco Strategy, which aims to reduce tobacco use to less than 5% by 2035 and recognizes smoking as a risk factor for chronic disease. Quitting smoking can be difficult, but it is possible and the best way to do it is the way that works for you. For more information, visit Canada.ca/quit-smoking.

Quotes

"Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health, the health of those around you, and the planet. That is why our government is committed to investing in ways that will help make quitting easier for all. By supporting community-based projects focused on preventing and reducing tobacco use, we can help lower smoking rates across the country and help everyone protect their wellbeing."

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Health

"Preventing and reducing tobacco use in at-risk populations will help people learn how to improve their health and lower their risk of developing tobacco-related diseases. Federal government investments play a key role in supporting all Canadians by providing tools, access to services, and help in changing their tobacco behaviour. By supporting these organizations and their projects, we are helping priority populations live healthier lives."

Adam van Koeverden 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health 

Quick Facts

• Close to 30,000 Canadians every year are diagnosed with lung cancer, a devastating and often preventable disease.
• Research shows that many smokers started smoking at an early age and were smoking regularly by the age of 18. Indeed, 8.6% of grade 7-9 students have tried a cigarette. The younger a person starts smoking, the more difficult it is to quit later in life.
• Funding announced today is being distributed through the Public Health Agency of Canada's Healthy Canadians and Communities Fund (HCCF) which supports projects that aim to lower Canadians' risk of chronic disease by tackling common modifiable risk factors, namely unhealthy eating, smoking, and physical inactivity.
• These investments support Canada's Tobacco Strategy, which recognizes smoking as a key modifiable risk factor for chronic disease and aims to reduce tobacco use to 5% by the year 2035.
• Tobacco usage plays a role in causing more than 40 diseases and other serious health outcomes. Smoking remains the leading cause of lung cancer and 20 other types of cancer.
• Among those who smoke daily, half will lose their life due to smoking.

Associated Links

Canada's Tobacco Strategy
Healthy Canadians and Communities Fund

SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada

Marie-France Proulx, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, 613-957-0200; Media Relations, Public Health Agency of Canada, 613-957-2983, [email protected]; Public Inquiries: 613-957-2991, 1-866-225-0709