Tobacco cessation: Quit Core in Lethbridge Sept. 21

Rita Aman

• The next Lethbridge Quit Core group starts September 21. There is no fee, but you must pre-register by calling the Helpline at 1-866-710-QUIT (7848). The group will run weekly for six weeks from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. For more information please call Rita at 403 502 8224. 

Rita Aman, Medicine Hat Community Health Services

Do you remember when smoking was permitted in shopping malls? How about smoking in a college classroom or cafeteria? Did anyone start smoking in high school, I mean inside the high school in the smoking room? Remember when the air was hazy with smoke above the ice surface at hockey games? Who remembers when the last three rows on an airplane or bus was the ‘smoking section’? Or when restaurants had a non-smoking section beside a smoking section? It all seems a little absurd now. Did you ever send your child to the store to buy cigarettes for you? Giving them a one dollar bill or five dollar bill and they came back with cigarettes and change? That seems a little unbelievable now.


You may remember the famous advertising campaign launched in the late sixties: "You've come a long way, baby.” It was the provocative tagline for a new, thinner cigarette produced by the Phillip Morris Company and marketed specifically to women. The campaign was wildly successful, selling a lot of cigarettes and became an instant national catch-phrase. The campaign cashed in on the 1960s emerging feminist consciousness and the rise of "the New Woman," a woman who was independent, self-sufficient, and eager to demonstrate her confidence. This campaign convinced thousands of teenage girls to take up smoking as a sexy, free-wheeling and even revolutionary act.

Things change and fortunately we have ‘come a long way’ in helping people quit and keeping them from starting. When there was little restriction on where you could smoke, people smoked more and more people smoked. When tobacco was seemingly inexpensive, people smoked more and more people smoked. When there was little support to help smokers quit, people smoked more and more people smoked. The smoking rate in Canada in the late sixties was almost 50 per cent. Nearly half of the population smoked! Today the smoking rate in Canada is only 16 per cent; which can be attributed to tobacco regulation and taxation

Maybe you would like to make a change. If you are interested in quitting there are many options and resources available to help you quit. You don’t have to do this alone. Ask for support from your doctor/health care professional and check on these programs:

AlbertaQuits Helpline – Information, counseling and referral, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. Trained Cessation Counsellors will help you develop a quit plan, deal with cravings and tricky situations and provide ongoing support throughout your quit. Free, confidential helpline, 1-866-710-QUIT (7848)

AlbertaQuits Online – Click to quit with powerful tools, advice and 24/7 support. Get prepared, make a plan and stay motivated with tips by e-mail.

www.Albertaquits.ca – Free web-based support, anytime, anywhere.

AlbertaQuits Text – Get Quit tips and support sent straight to your smart phone. Available to Alberta residents only. Support is just a TEXT away.

AlbertaQuits Groups – Quit Core is a group support program led by trained counsellors. This free program teaches quitting support techniques and connects you with others who are also quitting.

Quit Core - is a free group cessation program that provides support for adults 18 and older. The program teaches quitting support techniques and connects you with others who are also quitting. You will learn about your habit and how to design a quit plan that works best for you. The program includes six sessions that teach you how to quit in the most effective way possible.

The next Medicine Hat Quit Core group starts September 22. There is no fee, but you must pre-register by calling the Helpline at 1-866-710-QUIT (7848). The group will run weekly for six weeks from 6:30 to 8:00 pm

The next Lethbridge Quit Core group starts September 21. There is no fee, but you must pre-register by calling the Helpline at 1-866-710-QUIT (7848). The group will run weekly for six weeks from 5:30 to 6:30 pm

For more information about the upcoming Quit Core group, please call Rita at 403 502 8224.


Rita Aman is a health promotion facilitator at Medicine Hat Community Health Services and can be reached at 403-502-8200 or Rita.Aman@AHS.ca