September 2004

I have been smoking on and off

since i was a teenager but when i had my children, I was

smoking like crazy. I tried

many times

to quit and I even made a promise to my children to quit, but

I couldn’t do it. They still see me smoking my life away. I

really,

really want to quit. Please help! — Leah

Leah:

I can understand how difficult your situation is and I

hope I can help! Many people experience this addiction to nicotine

and find it really tough to deal with. However, many of those

same people have also managed to quit for good. We have a good

understanding of nicotine addiction now so there is help.

I would suggest you start by calling the Smokers’ Helpline –

1-877-513-5333 (in Ontario). They can haelp you find the services

you need in your community. They will mail you a package of helpful

information as well. If I were you, I would make a doctor’s appointment

and see if he/she can help. Many doctors have received special

training to help smokers. You could also look or ask for the

nearest smoking cessation clinic. Many of these clinics are covered

by OHIP so there would be no cost.

I hope this information will lead you to a successful quit.

You will benefit and of course so will your family. I wish you

the best of luck and please let me know how it goes!

Sharon

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September 2004