Smoking and tobacco

Close-up of hand crushing a package of cigarettes

You probably don’t need to be told that smoking is bad for you. But what are the benefits of quitting?

Quit now and reduce your risk of cancer

In Canada, it is estimated that smoking is responsible for 30% of all cancer deaths and is related to more than 85% of lung cancer cases.

The more you smoke and the longer you smoke, the more you increase your risk of developing lung cancer. But within 10 years of quitting, an ex-smoker’s overall risk of dying from lung cancer is cut in half.
If you quit, your risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases.

Quit now and breathe better

Even relatively light smoking may cause lung damage because smoking is repetitive, and the effects of inhaling add up over time. If you’re a smoker, you may have noticed that you:

feel out of breath when walking up a short flight of stairs
cough a lot
spit up mucus
have repeat chest infections

These are not signs of aging or being out of shape. They are signs that smoking is damaging your lungs.

Quit and feel better in so many other ways

The single best thing you can do to improve your health is to quit smoking. And the improvements start almost right away. As soon as you stop smoking, your body begins to cleanse itself of tobacco poisons. Here’s how:

Oxygen levels in your blood increase and carbon monoxide levels drop within 8 hours.
Your sense of smell and taste begin to improve after 2 days.
You’ll find it easier to breathe within 2 weeks to 3 months because your lungs are working better.
Coughing, sinus congestion, tiredness and shortness of breath improve within 6 months.
Your risk of a smoking-related heart attack is reduced by half after 1 year.

Getting help to quit

Smokers’ Helpline is a free, confidential service that can help you develop a quit program, offer you support and refer you to services in your community.

Quit smoking guides – one step at a time
Quitting doesn’t happen in one step – it’s more of a process that happens in stages. Our One Step at a Time guides are based on the best available science about quitting smoking. The content reflects current research findings and the material is developed, revised and reviewed by independent experts. Choose the quit guide that best matches the stage you’re at.

One Step at a Time: For smokers who don't want to quit

This booklet is for smokers who don't want to quit smoking. It won't tell them to quit but instead it will help them to better understand their relationship with smoking.

One Step at a Time: For smokers who want to quit

This booklet is for smokers who have decided that they want to quit smoking.

One Step at a Time: Help a smoker quit

This booklet is for friends and family who want to help a smoker quit.

Facts on tobacco and cancer

In 2005 (the most recent statistics available), slightly fewer than 5 million Canadians aged 15 and older were smokers—19% of the population.
In 2005 smoking among Canadian youth, aged 15-19 years, remained unchanged from the same period last year at 18% (about 385,000 youth).
Of Ontarians, in the 15-19 year-old age bracket, 16% were surveyed as being current smokers.
In 2005, 12% of Canadian children aged 0-17 were regularly exposed to Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS).
In Ontario, 9% of the children aged 0-17 were regularly exposed to ETS, the second lowest percentage in the country.
The province of Ontario reported the highest percentage of never-smokers, at 59%.

[Source: Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey 2005 (CTUMS 2005)]

The main cause of lung cancer is smoking.
Lung cancer is the most preventable of all cancers, however, it remains to be the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women.
The most frequently diagnosed cancer in Ontario is lung cancer
Smoking is responsible for 28% or potential life years lost (PYLL) due to cancer.
In 2006, there were an estimated 22,700 Canadians diagnosed with lung cancer, and approximately 19, 300 died from the disease.
In Ontario alone in 2006, an estimated 3,900 men and 3,700 women were diagnosed with Lung cancer; and approximately 3,500 men and 3,100 women died from the disease.

[Source: Canadian Cancer Statistics 2006]

Non-smokers who are regularly exposed to second-hand smoke have a higher risk of contracting lung cancer, and heart disease. Increased chances of cancer of the sinuses, brain, breast, uterine, cervix, thyroid, as well as leukemia and lymphoma are also noted.
Second-hand smoke is linked to the deaths of at least 1,100 Canadians every year, 300 of them from lung cancer.
Several studies and significant medical experience show that those who chew tobacco have an increased risk of cancer of the oral cavity. Snuff increases the risk of cancer of the oral cavity and larynx.
Tobacco use is also a contributory factor for the development of cancer of the bladder, kidney, pancreas, cervix, mouth, esophagus, larynx, colon and breast.

The encouraging news

Smoking is the number one preventable cause of death in Canada.
Not only are fewer Canadians smoking, but also they are smoking fewer cigarettes on a daily basis. In 1985, daily smokers consumed an average of 20.6 cigarettes per day. Since then the number has been gradually declining. In 2005, the average amount of cigarettes smoked per day was 15.7.
In 2005 in Ontario, the average number of cigarettes smoked per day was 15.6.
In 2005, 28% of the Canadian population surveyed were reported as being former smokers.
Of Ontarians in 2005, 25% over the age of 15 were former smokers.
Also in 2005, 19% of daily smokers in Canada attempted to quit 2-3 times, and 14% attempted to quit 4 or more times.