Nanaimo based family physician Dr. Derek Poteryko has spent many years helping people to quit smoking. (Pixabay)

By Ian Holmes

kick the habit

Nanaimo doctor sparks motivation during National Non Smoking Week

Jan 18, 2023 | 5:27 AM

NANAIMO — A local family doctor and smoking cessation specialist is highlighting the importance of butting out.

Dr. Derek Poteryko said National Non Smoking Week, headlined by Weedless Wednesday, is a productive time for all forms of smokers to quit the habit.

He expanded on tobacco smokers in particular, especially those at it for many years, who tend to have poor health outcomes.

“The average smoker lives ten years less than somebody that does not smoke. How do you put a price tag on ten years of time? It’s immeasurable,” Dr. Poteryko told NanaimoNewsNOW.

January meshes well with National Non Smoking Week, Dr. Poteryko said, since many people evaluate ways to make positive changes in the new year.

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Statistics Canada data from 2020 showed 10 per cent of Canadians at that time were tobacco smokers, a decrease of 12 per cent from 2019.

British Columbians had the lowest smoking rates in the nation during the 2020 report at eight per cent.

“There are other behaviours that are much healthier, much cheaper to utilize, so that’s the message we’re tying to get out to our young people as well.”

For example, Dr. Poteryko said studies showed exercising daily for 30 minutes often vastly reduces the amount of smoking.

Dr. Poteryko said recent trends of e-cigarettes, particularly among young people, is concerning since it’s mistakenly seen as not harmful.

He said people motivated to quit smoking act for different reasons, primarily health and financial factors.

One of his clients, a man in his 60’s, quit smoking after participating in Weedless Wednesday in 1980.

“Anybody that quits smoking has more impact on their health than any medication we can actually give them for cholesterol and their heart and other things, that’s how powerful quitting smoking is.”

Canadian Cancer Society data showed tobacco is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in Canada, killing nearly 48,000 people annually and representing about one third of all cancer deaths.

More information to quit smoking can be found at www.quitnow.ca, or calling the 24-hour smoker helpline Quit Now at 1-877-455-2333.

Join the conversation. Submit your letter to NanaimoNewsNOW and be included on The Water Cooler, our letters to the editor feature.

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes