National Non-Smoking Week is a yearly event in Canada. The campaign first started in 1977, observed on the third full week of January. The week’s activities are coordinated by the Canadian Council for Tobacco Control.
The aim of the week is to:
Educating citizens about the dangers of smoking;
Preventing those who do not smoke from picking-up the habit;
Helping people quit smoking;
Promoting the right of individuals to breathe air unpolluted by tobacco smoke;
De-normalizing tobacco industry marketing practices. Here, Bob Walsh, executive director, Canadian Council for Tobacco Control asserts: “it’s no secret that cigarettes are the most dangerous product on the market.”
Central to the week is “Weedless Wednesday”, with the idea that smokers refrain from puffing away on that particular day.
Supporting events this year is the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA). The body is focusing on good oral health in relation to quitting smoking. Donna Scott, who is the president of the hygienists group, stated: “Tobacco use can lead to gum disease, staining, bad breath, and it puts individuals at greater risk for mouth and throat cancers. Quitting smoking has immediate and long-term benefits, and dental hygienists play a key role in supporting individuals to eliminate tobacco use.” There is a link between oral cancer and tobacco products.
The CDHA indicates that its profession can offer regular dental hygiene visits and routine oral cancer screenings.
