Quitting Smoking in Ontario

To view the Quitting Smoking in Ontario infographic in a larger size, right-click on the graphic and choose to open the image in a new tab. You can also download the poster information in PowerPoint format (each item on one slide).

Poster References

Trying to Quit

1. 3 in 5 smokers intend to quit in the next 6 month. Ontario Tobacco Research Unit. 2013 Annual Strategy Monitoring Report. Toronto: Ontario Tobacco Research Unit.
2. On average, smokers try to quit once a year (1.1 times). Ip D and Chaiton M. Annualized number of quit attempts. OTRU, 2012. See also Borland, R; Partos, Timea R.; Yong, Hua-Hie; Cummings, K. Michael; Hyland, Andrew. How much unsuccessful quitting activity is going on among adult smokers? Data from the International Tobacco Control 4-Country cohort survey. Addiction 2012 Mar;107(3):673-682.
3. There are 2.4 million tobacco users in Canada. Ontario Tobacco Research Unit. 2013 Annual Strategy Monitoring Report. Toronto: Ontario Tobacco Research Unit. Given 1.1 quit attempt per year=2.64 million quit attempts rounded down to 2.5.
4. Only 2% of quit attempts are successful. Ontario Tobacco Research Unit. 2013 Annual Strategy Monitoring Report. Toronto: Ontario Tobacco Research Unit.
5. Average number of days of a quit for a daily smoker is 7. Chaiton, Michael; Diemert, Lori M.; Bondy, Susan J.; Ferrence, Roberta; Brown, K. Stephen; Schwartz, Robert. Smokers’ time to first cigarette after a serious quit attempt: A three-year population-based cohort study. 2012 Oct 27-31 American Public Health Association, 140th Annual Meeting. San Francisco, CA.
6. Average number of times it takes to quit successfully: 30. Chaiton, Michael; Diemert, Lori M.; Bondy, Susan J.; Ferrence, Roberta; Brown, K. Stephen; Schwartz, Robert. Number of quit attempts it takes to quit smoking successfully. Submitted to American Journal of Epidemiology.
7. Getting sick triggers quit attempts. Kaduri P, Chaiton M, Selby P, Bondy S. Self-perceived health status and changes in smoking behaviour. Social Aetiology in Mental Illness conference. Toronto: November 2012.

Factors Affecting Quitting

1. Contraband smokers. Mecredy GC, Diemert LM; Callaghan RC, Cohen JE. Association between use of contraband tobacco and smoking cessation outcomes: A population-based cohort study. Canadian Medical Association Journal 2013 Apr 16;185(7):e287-e294.
2. Factors that are associated with more difficulty quitting: addiction (higher number of cigarettes smoked per day, higher perceived addiction, daily smoking); less than high school education. Chaiton, Michael; Diemert, Lori M.; Bondy, Susan J.; Ferrence, Roberta; Brown, K. Stephen; Schwartz, Robert. Smokers’ time to first cigarette after a serious quit attempt: A three-year population-based cohort study. 2012 Oct 27-31 American Public Health Association, 140th Annual Meeting. San Francisco, CA.

Top Quit Aids

1. Top five services used: NRT (72%), self-help (67%), Quit contest (37%), prescription medication (35%), Individual counseling (17%). Kirst M, Manji N, Andrews J, Di Sante E, Babayan A, Chaiton M, Schwartz R. Cessation Pathways: Exploring Opportunities for Developing a Coordinated Smoking Cessation System in Ontario. Toronto, ON: Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, 2013.

Getting Help

1. 1 in 2 smokers used no help to quit. Ontario Tobacco Research Unit. 2013 Annual Strategy Monitoring Report. Toronto: Ontario Tobacco Research Unit.
2. Only 1 in 4 people who use the patch use it for long enough. Zhang B. Does Duration of Nicotine Replacement Therapy Use Matter in Quitting Smoking? A Longitudinal Study of Smokers in the General Population. Doctoral Thesis. University of Toronto: August 2013.
3. Most effective pharmaceutical quit aids: NRT patch, Champix. Chaiton, Michael; Diemert, Lori M.; Bondy, Susan J.; Ferrence, Roberta; Brown, K. Stephen; Schwartz, Robert. Smokers’ time to first cigarette after a serious quit attempt: A three-year population-based cohort study. 2012 Oct 27-31 American Public Health Association, 140th Annual Meeting. San Francisco, CA.
4. 83% of pharmacology users also tried self-help and/or counselling. Kirst M, Manji N, Andrews J, Di Sante E, Babayan A, Chaiton M, Schwartz R. Cessation Pathways: Exploring Opportunities for Developing a Coordinated Smoking Cessation System in Ontario. Toronto, ON: Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, 2013.

It Gets Better

1. Users of 6 or more cessation services or resources were more likely to be confident in staying smoke-free and be further along in their cessation journey. Kirst M, Manji N, Andrews J, Di Sante E, Babayan A, Chaiton M, Schwartz R. Cessation Pathways: Exploring Opportunities for Developing a Coordinated Smoking Cessation System in Ontario. Toronto, ON: Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, 2013.
2. 62% of ever smokers are currently nonsmokers. Ontario Tobacco Research Unit. 2013 Annual Strategy Monitoring Report. Toronto: Ontario Tobacco Research Unit.
3. Chance of staying smoke free improves. Chaiton, Michael; Diemert, Lori M.; Bondy, Susan J.; Ferrence, Roberta; Brown, K. Stephen; Schwartz, Robert. Smokers’ time to first cigarette after a serious quit attempt: A three-year population-based cohort study. 2012 Oct 27-31 American Public Health Association, 140th Annual Meeting. San Francisco, CA.