Tobacco

Smoking Cessation

Key Messages
Former Smokers
Intention to Quit
Technical Notes

Key Messages

It is often said that starting smoking is much easier than quitting smoking. But, with practice and support, quitting is achievable.
There are more former smokers in Simcoe Muskoka than there are current smokers.
Most former smokers have achieved long term success in quitting smoking.
About half of current smokers report at least one quit attempt in the previous year.

Former Smokers

According to the 2019-2020 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), 29% (25.7%, 31.8%) of Simcoe Muskoka adults (19+ years) considered themselves to be former smokers compared with 19% (15.4%, 22.7%) who currently smoke either daily or occasionally.
The majority of these former smokers have achieved long-term success. Over two-thirds (69% (64.1%, 73.3%)) of adult (19+) former smokers in Simcoe Muskoka have been smoke-free for 10 years or more according to data from the 2015-2020 CCHS.

Smoking Cessation Current Smokers

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Intention to Quit

From the Rapid Risk Factor Surveillance System (RRFSS) survey conducted from January 2019 to March 2020, fewer than half or 44% (36.5%, 51.9%) of adult smokers (18+) in Simcoe Muskoka said they were either considering quitting smoking in the next six months or committed to quitting in the next 30 days. This is significantly lower than in previous years: 61% (53.3%, 68.1%) of current smokers reported they were at least considering quitting in the 2018 RRFSS survey.
About half (52% (45.4%, 58.8%)) of current smokers attempted to quit for at least one whole day in the previous twelve months.
From 2007 to 2019, there was no change in the proportion of current smokers attempting to quit smoking cigarettes.

Technical Notes

In the 2015/2016 CCHS, the definition of ‘former smoker’ changed with the removal of experimental smokers (those who have smoked at least one but fewer than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime) from this category and moving them to the ‘never smoker’ category. This change results in approximately 13% of survey respondents moving from the ‘former smoker’ to the ‘never smoker’ category.