Lung group asks smokers to quit for World No Tobacco Day

The annual World No Tobacco Day is a week away. On May 31 the Canadian Lung Association is asking the five million Canadians who smoke to kick the habit. They are also encouraging loved ones to use social media get their families to stop smoking.

According to a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, quitting smoking is contagious. When others in a social circle quit, peer members are more likely to do the same. "We're inviting people to "Catch the Quit" by sending out e-cards to either announce their decision to quit or send out to friends, family and co-workers to invite them to quit together," says Heather Borquez, CEO and president of The Canadian Lung Association. "We're also offering a Qwitter Twibbon, a small logo that people can add to their Twitter profile images, to proudly announce that they've quit smoking." Dr. Anna Day, respirologist at Women's College Hospital, professor in the faculty of medicine (division of respirology) at the University of Toronto said that it's common for smokers to quit and then start smoking again several times. The study found that smokers tend to associate with other smokers who share similar smoking patterns. When one smoker in the group quits their close friends have a 43 percent chance of quitting also. When a smoker in a small company quits there is a 34 percent of co-workers quitting. The results are highest among spouses, when one spouse extinguishes their smoking habit their partner's chances of quitting are increased by two-thirds. George Moffat and his wife, Diane, smoked for over 30 years each. "We've been smoke-free now for about three years," explains George. "Quitting wasn't easy; we tried and failed numerous times. The key to our success was involving our doctor and developing a plan that included quitting together. This allowed us to rely on each other for continued motivation and support. Together we managed to quit, and are now encouraging others to do the same. We couldn't feel better." Nicotine addiction is a chronic, relapsing medical condition meaning that an individual continues to re-experience problems associated with the addiction. Without nicotine the body goes through an unpleasant withdrawal. "Smokers benefit from quitting together. There is the inherent support and motivation that comes with a shared experience, and the planning that naturally occurs when coordinating with another person also helps support successful quitting," says Ms. Borquez.