Tiffany Dowell, 27, smokes a pack-and-a-half cigarettes a day and is not ready to take advantage of free smoking cessation aides funded by the province. But she wouldn't rule it out in future.
In the six months since the B.C, Smoking Cessation Program was launched, more than 100,000 orders for patches and drugs to help kick the habit have been filled.
The program was launched Sept. 31, 2011. Once each calendar year smokers can apply to make use of the program by calling 811.
Of the total, more than 50,000 were first-time orders from people trying to quit.
Nanaimo numbers are unavailable, but a Nanaimo Regional General Hospital doctor found a way to match the provincial initiative with federal funds to make a pilot program to support patients quitting after hospitalization for smoking-related illness.
Dowell, 27, started smoking at 15. Even a heart infection that landed her in hospitalize, with an intravenous tube in her wrist, was not enough to make her quit.
"I enjoy my smoking," Dowell said. Even if now isn't the right time to quit, in future she might consider using the program.
"It's good to know there are things out there to help," Dowell said.
A close call with a smokerelated illness such as a heart attack or chest infection that lands a patient in hospital can make him or her take stock and give up tobacco, but a home environment exposes patients to the same old stresses that can trigger a relapse.
"The problem is they are scared to death here in hospital (and) they're motivated to quit today: 'Today is the day I want to quit, I want to see my kids grow up,'" said Dr. David Forbes, regional manager of Vancouver Island Health Authority's clinical pharmacy program. "Then they go home and really get no support."
In January Forbes led a three-month trial at NRGH and Victoria's Royal Jubilee Hospital to give that support to patients as they leave hospital. The study is so new it's effectiveness isn't fully known but Forbes has high hopes it will be extend lives.
Under the federally-funded Quitnow program, patients can connect with others through community forums, get coaching advice from a 24-hour help line, motivational messages and quitting tips on their smart phones.
Provincially funded nicotine replacement therapy can be used to control the cravings.
"David has taken federal money and tied it into a provincial program," said Dr.
Richard Stanwick, VIHA chief medical health officer.
The trial took in between 35 and 50 patients. Forbes' next challenge is to get VIHA to support expanding it.
"The biggest challenge is getting all the front-line staff, nurses, pharmacists, even doctors, to do this on a regular basis," Forbes said.
