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STOP program puts the brakes on smoking

Smokers from across Ontario have the opportunity to receive free nicotine replacement therapy as part of the STOP (Smoking Treatment for Ontario Patients) program .
Smokers from across Ontario have the opportunity to receive free nicotine replacement therapy as part of the STOP (Smoking Treatment for Ontario Patients) program.

For many smokers, the cost of nicotine replacement products is a barrier to quitting, according to a press release from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

The STOP Program provides five weeks of free nicotine replacement therapy, a practical support for alleviation of nicotine withdrawal symptoms, which will help them to stop smoking, the press release said.

Those interested in participating in the STOP program may do so by attending a STOP workshop, to be held in Sudbury, Oct. 25.

The STOP Program is conducted by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and is funded by the Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport as part of its Smoke-Free Ontario Strategy.

STOP will also offer educational material to encourage the program participants to make broader changes that can improve their health even more, because often smoking does not occur in isolation, but rather accompanies other risk factors for disease, such as poor nutrition and lack of physical activity.

To see if you are eligible to participate in STOP, and to register for the workshops, phone 705-522-3433 on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and ask for public health nurse Cheryl Harvey.

Posted by Heidi Ulrichsen

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