A free program has been giving smokers in Calgary support in order to kick the bad habit with the help of health specialist and proven techniques.
QuitCore began in 2008. A branch of the Tom Baker Cancer Centre program, which has helped smokers quit for over 25 years, is based on the same core principles.
The program is offered province wide with 95 people registered in Calgary, and over 220 participants registered throughout Alberta.
The eight in-depth sessions offer participants the most effective methods and tools to help them become smoke-free.
Sessions cover various strategies to aid smokers in quitting such as: nicotine replacement therapy and prescription medications, how to deal with recovery symptoms and how to recognize and manage stress.
Support techniques and methods, which involve self-hypnosis, behaviour modification, and relaxation, have given the program a high success rate.
Karen Smith, who is part of the Tobacco Reduction Team, said that the average rate of participants who are able to ‘stay quit’ after the sessions is 30 per cent.
When compared to other group cessation programs as well as rates of those who try to quit on their own which averages around four per cent, QuitCore has a high quitting smoking rate.
“Our participants will struggle throughout the sessions but the biggest hill to climb is after the sessions have been complete,” said Smith.
She said that once the sessions are over, former participants tend to fall back into bad trends.
“QuitCore is the first step,” Smith said. “After it is entirely up to the individual to remain nicotine free.”
Although there is always a chance of relapse, QuitCore follows up with participants six months after the program, looking for past members who still require further help.
Tracy Chalaturnyk, of Alberta Health Services, said that although the program boasts impressive statistics for quitting smoking, QuitCore is always trying to improve.
“QuitCore has continued to evolve and grow to the program that it currently is through its participants’ feedback and evaluations of the program, as well as new research on the best practices to quit smoking,” said Chalaturnyk
The program generally has older participants, ranging from 50-60, but QuitCore plans to have a more diverse group.
QuitCore is planning to expand the program into other provinces and to inform post secondary institutions across the province.
“Expanding to post secondary schools will expose QuitCore to a younger group of smokers,” said Chalaturnyk.
More than 7,000 Albertans have quit smoking through QuitCore and the Tom Baker Cancer Centre program.
The program is offered only to persons over 18 because other programs, such as Kick the Nic, are targeting youth smokers.
QuitCore started on Jan. 26 and involves eight 90-minute sessions over 14 weeks, and goes from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays.
