Seniors and smoking

Quitting smoking, at any age, is a smart move. According to Stats Canada roughly 9% of men and women over the age of 65 still report using tobacco daily or occasionally, which means that smoking is still cause for concern among doctors and other health-care professionals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Strategies for quitting

Seniors can use many of the same strategies that are used by smokers of other ages. These include avoiding places where others smoke, removing ashtrays and other objects that remind them of smoking to their homes, finding other ways to deal with stress and using the four Ds to handle cravings (deep breathe, distract yourself, delay smoking by five minutes and drink water).

Just convincing yourself that you can quit smoking can make a difference. You are more likely to successfully quit if you believe you can do it.

Set yourself up for success by making a complete plan to quit. Set a quit date ahead of time. Set a quit date ahead of time, and seek support to family and friends to help keep you tobacco-free. Others find it helpful to add counselling or medication (e.g., nicotine replacement therapies like gums, patches, inhalers or lozenges) to their quit plan.