The Ontario Lung Association Launches New Cessation Workbook - Journey 2 Quit: A Workbook to Help You Quit Smoking
TORONTO, May 31, 2012 /CNW/ - Every journey begins with a decisive first step and Ontario smokers now have a new tool to help them on their road to quitting for good. In time for World No Tobacco Day (May 31), the Ontario Lung Association has released a new smoking cessation workbook - Journey 2 Quit. The interactive workbook aims to help smokers prepare for their quit attempt, learn how to make a plan for coping with triggers and withdrawal symptoms, as well as how to set and stick to a successful quit date.
"Smoking is an addiction that requires tremendous preparation and support to overcome," says George Habib, president and CEO of the Ontario Lung Association. "There's no doubt, quitting is an uphill challenge for most smokers, and the key is not to travel that difficult road alone. I want to remind smokers that they have a whole network of health professionals, including doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and pharmacists ready to support their efforts to quit."
Journey 2 Quit will officially launch at Central East Association for Smoking Elimination's (CEASE) symposium for healthcare professionals on May 31 in Oshawa. The symposium will focus on community lung health, featuring speakers: Dr. John Dickie, Chief of Surgery at Lakeridge Health Corporation and RS McLaughlin Durham Regional Cancer Centre; Dr. John Oyston, Founder of the "Stop Smoking for Safer Surgery" campaign and Consulting Anesthesiologist at The Scarborough Hospital; and Jane Ling, president of CEASE and Pharmacists for a Smoke Free Canada. The evening will be hosted by George Habib, president and CEO of the Ontario Lung Association.
"Durham Region is one of Canada's fastest growing communities," says CEASE President Jane Ling. "CEASE is committed to making Durham one of the healthiest by helping people to quit smoking and end the debilitating diseases associated with it."
Smoking in Ontario
There are currently more than two million Ontarians who continue to smoke, and more than half want to quit. Tobacco use remains a leading health concern in Ontario, one that is responsible for 13,000 preventable deaths each year. Smoking is also the number one cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and is a major contributor to many forms of cancer, including lung cancer. Currently in Ontario more than 780,000 people are living with COPD, and 33,000 are living with lung cancer. The combined cost of these diseases to the provincial economy is estimated at more than $4 billion.1
"There are many effective approaches to help someone quit smoking, but not all of them will work for everyone," says Dr. Peter Selby, Clinical Director, Addictions Program and Head of the Nicotine Dependence Clinic at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). "We need to work towards ensuring that all tools and supports are readily available to every Ontarian who wants to quit smoking."
The Ontario Lung Association with more than 40 stakeholders, including CEASE and CAMH, has formed a Lung Health Alliance to call upon the Government of Ontario to commit to the creation and implementation of a Lung Health Action Plan. Such a plan would address the growing burden of all lung disease in Ontario by making existing resources more widely available, and ensuring all Ontarians have access to the programs, supports and medications they need to prevent and better manage lung disease.
About the Ontario Lung Association
The Lung Association is a registered charity that provides information, education and funding for research to improve lung health. The organization focuses on the prevention and control of asthma, chronic lung disease, tobacco control as well as healthy air and the effects of pollution on lung health. For information on lung health, call 1-888-344-LUNG (5864), which is staffed by certified respiratory educators, or visit www.on.lung.ca. You can also follow the Ontario Lung Association on Twitter @OntarioLung and Facebook.
Journey 2 Quit: A Workbook to Help You Quit Smoking is available for free and can be ordered through the Ontario Lung Association's Lung Health Information Line 1-888-344-LUNG (5864). The toll-free telephone line is staffed by certified respiratory educators who can also offer extra support and advice to help anyone who is making a quit attempt. The Journey 2 Quit workbook can also be downloaded at www.on.lung.ca/journey
About CEASE
CEASE was originally called the Durham Regional Smoking Cessation Network (DRSCN). It was founded in October 2008 by a small group of collaborative Durham Region healthcare professionals, consisting of two local family physicians, a dentist, cardiologist, public health nurse, two pharmacists and two representatives from the pharmaceutical industry, all passionate about helping patients with smoking cessation.
In January 2010, it was decided to change the name to the Central East Association for Smoking Elimination (CEASE) to align with the Central East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) to expand its area, its membership and its initiatives. CEASE continues to grow and evolve. Today, CEASE has 100 members from many disciplines, focusing on the promotion of best practices, advocacy, professional development and the dissemination of information to assist patients to quit smoking.
1 "Your Lungs, Your Life: Insights and Solutions to Lung Health in Ontario" Produced by the Ontario Lung Association, based on data from: Smetanin, P., Stiff, D., Briante, C, Ahmad, S., Ler, Al, Wong, L. Life and Economic Burden of Lung Disease in Ontario: 2011 to 2041. RiskAnalytica, on behalf of the Ontario Lung Association, 2011.
Image with caption: "Journey 2 Quit: A Workbook to Help You Quit Smoking (CNW Group/Ontario Lung Association)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120531_C4400_PHOTO_EN_14416.jpg
For more information about Journey 2 Quit or for an interview with George Habib or Dr. Peter Selby, please contact:
Karen Petcoff
Ontario Lung Association
[email protected]
416-864-9911 ext. 283 / Cell 416-275-6844
Sherry Zarins
Ontario Lung Association
[email protected]
416-864-9911 ext. 267
For more information about CEASE, please contact Jane Ling at [email protected]
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