Weedless Wednesday

Weedless Wednesday has been a focal point of National Non-Smoking Week almost from the start, focusing media and public attention on the benefits of cessation and the community resources available to help smokers quit. The idea behind Weedless Wednesday is to promote a "one day at a time" approach to quitting smoking, a concept appealing to many smokers who may be discouraged at the thought of an entire week -- or lifetime -- without cigarettes, but who may be able to cope with one smoke-free day.

Benefits of Quitting:

• within 8 hours carbon monoxide level drops in your body and the oxygen level in your blood increases to normal.
• within 48 hours your sense of smell and taste improves and your chances of having a heart attack start to go down.
• within 72 hours your lung capacity increases and bronchial tubes relax, making breathing easier.
• within 2 weeks the nicotine is removed from your body.
• within 3 months circulation improves and lung functioning increases up to 30%.
• within 6 months coughing, sinus congestion, tiredness and shortness of breath improve.
• within 1 year risk of smoking-related heart attack is cut in half, and your risk for cavities is lower.
• within 10 years risk of dying from lung cancer is cut in half.
• within 15 years risk of dying from a heart attack is equal to a person who never smoked

Community Resources:

• AlbertaQuits Helpline – 1-866-710-QUIT (7848) is a free, confidential counselling telephone service, whereby callers can access help developing an individual quit plan, receive information, or be referred to services available in their community.
• AlbertaQuits Online – albertaquits.ca offers expert support, medication information, cessation resources, and community support is available through this free service.
• AlbertaQuits Groups – offers free, group quit smoking support across Alberta for adults 18 and over and teaches quitting support techniques such as self-hypnosis, behaviour modification, relaxation and strategies to help with physical and mental recovery. For more information on QuitCore programs offered in your area, or to become a QuitCore facilitator, visit albertaquits.ca.
• Primary Care Networks – a number of PCNs across the province offer tobacco cessation support for their clients.
• Family physicians – some family physicians have received training in tobacco cessation support and are prepared to provide counselling and prescribe pharmacotherapy.
• Community pharmacist – some pharmacists have received training in tobacco cessation support and are prepared to pr

Try a smoke free day:

Use this day as an opportunity to trial an over the counter nicotine replacement products.  Which is the right one for you?

For more information, visit http://nnsw.ca/events/weedless-wednesday/

The Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network offers a comprehensive Smoking Cessation program for anyone interested through either physician or self referral. The program involves individual one-on-one appointment with the Pharmacist at the LBD PCN.  After an assessment, the pharmacist will d assists you to make a plan that can result in a successful quit.

For more information or to make an appointment, please call the LBD PCN Registered Pharmacist, Nandini Desai at 780-986-6624.