In a bid to douse their smouldering tobacco habits, more and more northern B.C. residents are reaching for the phone to dial 811.
That's the direct line to tap into the province's smoking cessation program, which for the past three months has been providing smokers with free nicotine gum, patches, inhalers and prescription drugs to help them butt out permanently.
As of late November, 1,905 tobacco users across the Northern Health region and nearly 34,000 people in the province had registered for the program, which provides a free 12-week supply of patches, gum or inhalers, or a single course of a prescription smoking cessation drug.
"Even though the numbers for the north are lower than the other health authorities, we're happy, that's almost double the number of people who accessed the NICC [Nicotine Intervention Counselling] program," said Nancy Viney, Northern Health's nicotine intervention counselling co-ordinator.
"We hope the word continues to spread and encourage others to escape nicotine addiction. It's the single most important thing you can do for your health. It's the No. 1 cause of preventable death."
While the health risks -- lung and other cancers, emphysema and cardiovascular disease -- associated with tobacco use are obvious, the cost to the health care system is staggering. Although B.C. had the lowest rate of tobacco use in Canada in 2010, tobacco use cost the province $2.3 billion, $605 million of which was tied to direct health care costs. With the cost of pack of cigarettes now at about $10, that's $300 per month for a pack-a-day smoker, which Viney says takes money away from family budgets for healthy food and recreational activities that could improve their lives.
B.C.'s smoking rate dropped to 14.3 per cent in 2010 from 14.9 percent the previous year, but the rate remained high across northern B.C., with 23.1 per cent of the population (an estimated 550,000 people) addicted to tobacco. The north has a more rural lifestyle with more outdoor workers where smoking is not banned at their workplace because they are not indoors.
As a result, Viney said, there is less motivation for smokers to quit.
Although it has been linked to high blood pressure and increased heart rates, nicotine by itself is not a carcinogen. Patches, gum and inhalers provide an alternate form of nicotine in graduated doses that is not harmful to users, which has allowed many people to quit smoking.
"Patches and gum double the quit rate," said Viney. "It depends on how motivated they are. [Using other forms of nicotine] is still much better than smoking."
Viney warns about the dangers of chewing tobacco, known to cause oral and esophageal cancer, tooth decay, gum disease and pre-cancerous mouth lesions.
"Kids get into it more because they get hooked on smoking in the summer and then have to go to school, where they can't smoke," she said.
The prescription drugs varenicline (Champix) block nicotine receptors, while bupropion (Zyban) helps reduce cravings. Only people who have met their PharmaCare deductable amount, qualify for free prescription pills. As of Nov. 21, 12,706 B.C. residents were receiving either Zyban or Champix through the program.
The 811 phone line was flooded with calls when the program was introduced in September, leading to 45-minute waits for people to register, but Viney says wait times have dropped and the automated service is available 24 hours per day, every day of the week.
Northern Health also provides free counselling to help people break their smoking habits and there is information and support available online at www.quitnow.ca.
