STOP study aims to help smokers butt out

There are no positives to smoking, but there are plenty of benefits to quitting, says the man in charge of the Thunder Bay District Health Unit’s cessation program.

Once again the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health is rolling out its STOP study, inviting regular smokers across Ontario six weeks of free nicotine replacement therapy if they qualify for the program.

Ken Ranta said the study’s aim is two-fold: to help those who want to quit actually do it, and as a measurement tool so see how successful the program is when delivered through different methods.

"It’s a great tool, because nicotine replacement in lieu of purchasing cigarettes is a typical hurdle that people face because they don’t have the cash to buy the NRT’s. It’s about $20 or $30 a week in order to buy the patches," Ranta said.

The time frame is more than enough to keep dedicated former smokers on the quitting path, he added.

"Once people get through that initial six weeks it’s a lot of increased success rates," Ranta said. "It’s a good program for people who want to get off tobacco."

About 600 people a year from Thunder Bay have taken part in past editions of the program, with more than 60,000 across Ontario signing up. Previous programs saw patches distributed through one-on-one counseling and through local hospitals.

Ranta said success rates through the program reach as high as 20 per cent, far more than the two or three per cent that manage to stay off tobacco for six months or more through the cold turkey approach.

No everyone is eligible, he said.

"You have to be what the centre considers a regular smoker," Ranta said. "If you smoke 10 cigarettes a daily, then you would be considered a regular smoker and they’d enroll you in the program. They also look for certain age categories. They don’t want to have all of the age categories in the 20 to 30 range, and not have people from other ages."

The program is funded through Smoke Free Ontario, though the Ministry of Health Promotion.

To inquire about eligibility, phone 1-866-484-9022.