Smokers' Helpline can help you kick the habit

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Smokers in Saskatchewan who are thinking about quitting can now get the information and support they need with just a simple phone call to the Smokers' Helpline.

The helpline, a project of the Canadian Cancer Society and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Saskatchewan with funding from Health Canada, has been operating in the province since last April and had its official launch in August. Since the launch, close to 250 people have called the toll-free line, which is manned by quit specialists trained to provide information and advice about tobacco use and quitting smoking, along with personalized support.

"When they call the helpline, they can be immediately connected to a quit specialist who answers any questions that they have," said David DeHoey, Smokers' Helpline co-ordinator.

"Essentially what the quit specialist would do is just ask a series of questions, just to get an understanding of what the caller wishes to do. Sometimes callers just want information on tobacco. Sometimes a caller wants to know how to deal with a withdrawal symptom. So the quit specialist will just ask a couple of questions to kind of understand what the caller wants and needs at that particular time. And the benefit to that is that each call then can be specifically tailored to the person who is calling."

One of the advantages of using the helpline, DeHoey said, is its immediacy. If you attend a support group to help you stop smoking, for instance, you have to wait until the group meets, and then wait your turn to have your question answered. But with the helpline, you can call when you want, and have your question answered right away.

The quit specialists can also help callers develop a quit plan, and if the caller wants, they can take part in a proactive service, DeHoey explained.

"A proactive service is when the quit specialist will make scheduled call backs to the caller. So that way the caller can, say if they do want to establish a quit plan, and they participate in the proactive service ... then say on their quit date, if they establish one, the quit specialist can then call the person and just provide extra support and kind of ask 'How are things going today and is there anything I can help you with, any questions you have today?' And then they also call on scheduled days after that as well and this can all be based on what the caller wishes. If the caller wishes a call the next day, or doesn't wish a call for another week or so, then that can be arranged with a quit specialist. And it's just an opportunity for them to speak to a quit specialist again to get other information," DeHoey said.

"The first few days of quitting smoking are the most challenging. That's when the withdrawal symptoms are really at their most severe and very difficult to deal with. So it's good to have a little extra support."

In addition to helping smokers in their efforts to quit smoking, the quit specialists can also provide callers with information about how they can help and support friends or family members in their efforts to quit smoking, DeHoey said.

Currently the helpline services are available in English and French, although it may be expanded to offer other languages in the future.

The Smokers' Helpline operates Monday to Thursday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday. The helpline number is 1-877-513-5333.