Cigarettes are made of tobacco, and tobacco contains nicotine. While nicotine isn’t harmful per se (rather it’s the chemicals in cigarettes that are harmful and can cause cancer), nicotine is an addictive chemical responsible for creating a physical dependence on cigarettes. Here’s how it works: When you inhale a cigarette, nicotine enters your bloodstream and prompts your brain to release feel-good chemicals that make you feel happy and calm. What happens next? After you finish your cigarette, the feel-good chemicals dissipate, and your brain craves more. When your brain stops receiving these feel-good chemicals, you can feel uncomfortable, irritable, restless, sad, or angry, or even have difficulty sleeping and concentrating. This is called nicotine withdrawal and it is the primary reason why so many people have trouble kicking the habit of smoking cigarettes.
Every smoker’s quitting journey is unique, and what works for one person may not work for another. Below, we look at four effective strategies—from support hotlines to nicotine replacement therapy—that can help you embrace a smoke-free lifestyle.
Programs & Hotlines
Expert-led programs, such as the Quit Smoking Program offered at the University of Ottawa’s Heart Institute, are available across the country (and virtually) to provide personalized support. They typically involve a healthcare provider reviewing your medical history and medications and creating a customized treatment plan that may include a prescription for a nicotine replacement product.
You can also access free support from a trained specialist via one of Canada’s hotlines. Counsellors are just a phone call (or text) away to help you develop a plan to quit smoking, answer questions you may have, provide support, and recommend services and programs in your community. For example, Quebec residents can contact I QUIT NOW for help in building a customized plan to quit smoking and for tips on how to manage stress and eliminate cravings to smoke.. Smokers’ Helpline delivers a similar type of service for Canadians living in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, Yukon and Ontario and offers interpreter services in over 100 languages. And Talk Tobacco is available for First Nation Inuit, Métis and urban Indigenous communities in the provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan.
Therapy
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been shown to be an effective tool to support quitting smoking. The treatment focuses on identifying the thoughts, emotions, and behaviours that you experience during nicotine withdrawal and restructuring them so that you feel a lesser urge to grab a cigarette. Group therapy is also an option, ideal for those who seek support on their journey and can be more cost-effective than one-on-one CBT sessions.
Another popular form of therapy to help quit smoking is hypnotherapy. Through visualization practices, therapists can guide smokers to see themselves as healthier people, which can encourage them to do what they can to get there. Many people report feeling more relaxed after hypnotherapy, and some even swear it helps them stave off smoking for good, but the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) says that there’s little evidence to show hypnotherapy is effective in smoking cessation.
Cold Turkey
When you quit smoking cold turkey, you quit without using treatments. There are a couple of ways to do it: You can cut back on the number of cigarettes you smoke per day or per week until you reach zero, or you can quit completely from the start. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns if you smoke half a pack of cigarettes a day or more, quitting cold turkey will be significantly more challenging, particularly because of the significant withdrawal symptoms.
Health Canada has a few tips to help you cope with such withdrawal symptoms:
- Delay: Aim to delay smoking for as long as possible—even if it’s just five minutes. This can help you cut back on the number of cigarettes you’re smoking in a day over time.
- Distract yourself: Get absorbed in an activity that demands your complete concentration, such as a game or a hobby.
- Deep breathing: Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth—this can help encourage relaxation and lessen feelings of stress and irritability.
- Drink water: The action of holding a glass of water and bringing it to your lips can replace your desire to do the same with a cigarette.
- Discuss: Talk about your progress with a friend or a coach to release tension and gain support.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy
The above measures are most effective when paired with nicotine replacement therapy (“NRT”). In Canada, NRTs are regulated under the Food & Drugs Act (FDA) to ensure safety and efficacy and are intended for use by adults aged 18 and older who smoke regularly and wish to quit.
NRT is available in a few different forms:; nicotine patches, which stick to your skin and release nicotine into your bloodstream; Nicotine gum, lozenges and inhalers that release right into your mouth; and nicotine pouches like Zonnic. Prescription medications such as Varenicline and Bupropion can also help reduce nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Currently, Zonnic a form of NRT, is the only legally authorized nicotine pouch available in Canada. It was approved for sale by Health Canada in October 2023, and delivers nicotine to your body via a pouch that is placed under your upper lip to temporarily relieve nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Nicotine is addictive, and therefore NRT should only be used by adults to help them quit smoking, and not for recreational use.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist for support on quitting smoking.
ZONNIC is a form of Nicotine Replacement Therapy for adults 18 years of age and older. This product may not be right for you. Always read and follow the label.
