She had been smoking for 25 years, averaging a pack a day, but it was the words of a child that helped one Rankin Inlet resident drop the habit for good.
I tried quitting quite a few times before that, recalled the resident, who preferred to remain anonymous while sharing her personal story.
A young person in her life had learned at school about smoking and the damage it can do. She was then asked a difficult question.
The child asked why Im trying to die and leave them, she recalled. I felt very guilty and uncomfortable. It made me really think.
Still, it wasnt easy to quit based on that alone. She tried to give up the habit right away but spent the next two years bouncing between different treatment options, such as Nicorette.
None of them worked on me, so after two years of trying, I just picked a date to give it a shot to go cold turkey, she recalled. Thats the only thing that worked for me.
Its been six-and-a-half years since shes smoked now.
I feel better, just generally feel better, she said about the positive effects since. I still get tempted in social settings, but other than that, I really dont like the smell anymore.
She tries not to preach to those around her to follow her lead, though.
I just know how hard it is to quit, and how its a personal choice and people need to decide for themselves, she said. Nobody can do it for them, so I just let it be. People are going to do what theyre going to do.
Her words of advice for those on a similar journey: Dont give up. Sometimes it takes many, many tries to quit.
In the territorys 2019-2020 Tobacco Control and Smoke-Free Places Act annual report, tobacco use rates showed a territory-wide 74 per cent among people ages 12 and up, with some communities reaching as high as 84 per cent, significantly higher than the national rate.
According to that report, smoking tobacco increases the risk of developing tuberculosis by a rate of 3.5 times.
And its not just a personal issue. According to nuquits.ca, cigarette butts are the most common litter in the world and take about 18 months to break down and then 12 years to completely degrade.
In Nunavut, retailers cannot sell tobacco to anyone under the age of 19, yet many young people still get tobacco through social sources, writes nuquits.ca, which include parents and family members.
Regardless of the age of the giver or even with a caregivers permission, it is against the law to provide tobacco to anyone younger than 19 years old.
For Tobacco Reduction Month, the Department of Health is encouraging Nunavummiut to start the new year by quitting tobacco.
According to a news release from the department, within two days of quitting, food tastes better and smell improves; in three days, lungs relax and breathing becomes easier; within six months, those who quit will have more energy; and after one year tobacco-free, the risk of a heart attack is half that of someone who smokes.
Nunavummiut can message a counsellor on the Tobacco Has No Place Here Facebook page or call 1-866-368-7848 at any time.
Medications are also available to address cravings and withdrawal from nicotine, such as patches, gum, lozenges, mouth sprays or inhalers. A health centre or pharmacy can offer advice on accessing these products.
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