Help to Quit Smoking

Last Reviewed: July 19, 2023

 When you are ready to quit smoking, you don’t have to do it alone. There are people and programs available in your community to help you quit smoking.  Making a quit plan and getting help increases your chances of quitting and staying smoke free.

Benefits of quitting smoking

Did you know?  

Programs and supports available to help you quit smoking

Durham Regional Cancer Centre’s Smoking Cessation Program

This program offers:

  • Support from a quit coach to help create a plan that works for you. You can be scheduled for an in-person, telephone, or video appointment with a 'Quit Coach'.
  • Free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) like gum, lozenges, and "the patch" for 10 weeks.

Ask a member of your healthcare team to refer you to this Program.

Health811

Call 811 and ask to talk to a quit coach. You can call 7 days a week/24 hours a day.

Your family doctor or nurse practitioner

Ask your family doctor or nurse practitioner if they offer counselling or nicotine replacement therapy to help you quit smoking.

Your pharmacist

Many Ontario pharmacists are trained in counselling to help you quit smoking.

Public Health

Public Health Unit websites offer information to help you quit smoking. Search for ‘quit smoking’. Call the Public Health Unit closest to you to talk to a public health nurse.

  • Region of Durham Public Health, call 1-800-841-2729.  Website: durham.ca
  • Haliburton Kawartha Lakes, Pine Ridge Health District Health Unit, call 1-866-888-4577. Website: hkpr.on.ca

Smoking Treatment for Ontario Patients (STOP) Program

Offers an online program to help you quit smoking. This program offers free nicotine replacement for 8 weeks. For more information or to register, go to the website found at nicotinedependenceclinic.com and click on ‘enroll to quit smoking’.

Smoker’s Helpline

Offers telephone and online support. Call 1-866-797-0007 to talk to a quit coach. You may qualify for a free trial of Nicotine Replacement Therapy.  For more information or to register, go to the website found at smokershelpline.ca

Talk Tobacco

Offers free support and information about quitting smoking, vaping and commercial tobacco use to First Nations, Inuit, Métis and Urban Indigenous communities. Call 1-833-998-8255 to talk to a quit coach. An online chat and text support is also available. For more information, go to the website found at smokershelpline.ca/talktobacco.

For more information to help you quit smoking

Cancer Care Ontario

Canadian Cancer Society

Lung Health Foundation

  • Download the Journey to Quit: A Workbook to Help You Quit Smoking from their website found at lunghealth.ca under ‘protect your lungs and smoking’. 
  • Call 1-888-344-5864 to talk to Certified Respiratory Educator for smoking cessation counselling.

The Canadian Lung Association

  • Read information on steps to quit smoking on their website found at lung.ca. Look under ‘lung health and smoking and tobacco’. 

Medications to help you quit smoking

Ask your pharmacist, family doctor or nurse practitioner about Nicotine Replacement Therapy as a choice for you.  Some medications to help you quit smoking are available without a prescription. This means you can buy them over the counter. Other medications are available with a prescription. Your private health insurance or some government programs may help you with these costs. You need to qualify for the government programs. 

The government programs include:

Talk to a member of your healthcare team if you have questions on how to quit smoking.