After smoking for a decade, Cathy Cope made up her mind to quit. But when she was let go from her job and had to stop the patch, she needed more support. That’s when she reached out to the Canadian Cancer Society’s Smokers’ Helpline, where she found the help she needed as she navigated quitting.
Cathy is one of thousands of people across Canada who have benefited from Smokers’ Helpline since it first launched 25 years ago.
In the last 25 years, Smokers’ Helpline:
Efram Turchick has been a quit coach for Smokers’ Helpline for more than a decade and has helped people like Cathy on their quit journey. He knows first-hand the challenge people are taking on when they decide to quit, and how important it is to find the right support. When people call Smokers’ Helpline, they’re up to 8 times more likely to be smoke-free after 6 months than people who go it alone.
“We encourage lots of support while quitting, whether from Smokers’ Helpline quit coaches, health care professionals, community forums, text messaging support, friends or family,” he says. “You are not alone.”
Efram also says that it’s important for people to remind themselves that they're healing, and that withdrawals mean they are getting free from smoking or vaping. Though it’s not easy, it’s temporary and the worst of it is usually within the first week. If you can get through your first week, you’re much more likely to quit for good.
“We definitely encourage people to give themselves rewards and not to say, ‘I'm going to wait until I've quit for a year, then I'll celebrate.’ We encourage people to do that sooner, especially in that first week,” Efram says.
In addition to phone support, Smokers’ Helpline offers help by text message and through live chat. It also hosts an online community on SmokersHelpline.ca, where people like Cathy have found support from peers on their quit journey.
“To have the support of people who are in your shoes and have been in your shoes is what makes the difference, because then you see the possibilities,” Cathy says. “It's not just someone telling you that you can. It's people telling you that you can because they did.”
That’s the impact Smokers’ Helpline has had on thousands of individuals over 25 years.