Southwestern Public Health Receives Funding to Prevent and Reduce Tobacco use

Southwestern Public Health receives funding to prevent and reduce tobacco use in at-risk populations

Southwestern Public Health is honoured to have been selected as a recipient of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Healthy Canadians and Communities Fund. Over one million in funds will go towards reducing barriers to smoking cessation services for at-risk populations, including marginalized and underserved populations in the Southwestern Public Health region.

Through this project, clients will work directly with community partners, such as pharmacists, social service agencies or mental health and addiction agencies, to receive smoking cessation counselling and nicotine replacement therapy.

“The use of tobacco products continues to be a leading cause of chronic disease within Ontario and our region,” says Samantha Fox, Program Manager at Southwestern Public Health. “Not only will this funding provide services to our residents to support the cessation of tobacco products, but it also showcases the kind of innovative strategies Southwestern Public Health staff use each day to address the causes of chronic diseases. Once complete, our findings will be disseminated across the province and country to help countless others.”

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of premature death and disease in Canada. Marginalized and underserved populations, such as people with low incomes, racialized, Indigenous, or those with a mental health diagnosis, experience even higher rates of tobacco use and greater tobacco-related health gaps.

When the program is up and running later this spring, eligible clients will make an appointment through a participating pharmacy or by calling Southwestern Public Health at 1-800-922-0096.

References
Government of Canada to support at-risk Canadians to prevent and reduce tobacco use