The Ontario Tobacco Research Unit (OTRU) and the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) are launching The Expand Project, a social marketing campaign and research initiative to address smoking (and vaping) among queer and trans young adults in Toronto, Thunde

Abstract Introduction Young people are now seeking help to quit vaping. However, little is known about vaping cessation. To bridge the gap between the current state of research and the urgent need for interventions, practitioners have drawn upon smok

Research Letter Introduction Research on the implications of menthol cigarette bans is crucial to inform evidence-based decision-making and policy changes.1,2 In Canada, a series of provincial bans were implemented starting in May 2015, until a feder

Abstract Background and Aims The province of Ontario, Canada, banned the use of menthol-flavored tobacco products as of January 1, 2017. This study aims to assess the longer-term impact of a menthol ban on smoking behavior at 2 years, which is unknow

Abstract Introduction E-cigarettes may have the potential to be an effective cessation aid for some cigarette smokers. However, the extent to which smokers’ experiences using e-cigarettes (vaping) to quit smoking impact their cessation outcomes

Abstract Introduction E-cigarettes may have the potential to be an effective cessation aid for some cigarette smokers. However, the extent to which smokers’ experiences using e-cigarettes (vaping) to quit smoking impact their cessation outcomes

This Build Smoke-Free project infographic provides evaluation highlights from the first year (2019-20) of Build Smoke-Free (BSF). BSF is a tailored cessation program that connects people working in construction who are ready to quit smoking with free

Commentary Stepankova and colleagues demonstrate that the second round of treatment for smoking cessation can be as effective as the first round. It is important to recognize that, in a clinical context, most smokers will have already made multiple q

Abstract Background The increasing number of internet users presents an opportunity to deliver health interventions to large populations. Despite their potential, many web-based interventions, including those for smoking cessation, face high rates of

OTRU has been awarded funding to work in partnership with the Canadian Cancer Society to develop a social marketing campaign to better understand cigarette smoking and smoking culture among young adults who identify as LGBTQI2S+. This newsletter desc

This report presents a synthesis of findings from public opinion research to review current approaches to vaping advertisements and marketing. The report touches on motivating factors for vape use, which precedes sections detailing participants’

This report presents a synthesis of findings from public opinion research to review the role of vape flavours in vaping use. The report identifies the influence of flavours in initial and continued vape use for groups with varying exposure to vaping

This report presents a synthesis of findings from public opinion research that review causes for first-time use of tobacco and vaping products. This includes motivating factors for use (device features, available flavours, social benefits, cost, and

Abstract Introduction Cigarette smoking remains more common among individuals with depression. This study investigates whether cigarette quit ratios and cigarette use prevalence have changed differentially by depression status during the past decade.

Continued tobacco use adversely affects cancer treatment outcomes. Specifically, continued smoking by cancer patients can accelerate disease progression, result in decreased overall and disease-specific survival, as well as increase the risk of disea

Abstract Objectives Smoking cessation interventions with sex considerations have been found to effectively increase cessation rates. However, evidence is limited and weak. This study examined sex differences in the use of smoking cessation services o

Smoking cessation services are generally offered as one-time limited services with little or no follow-up cessation support. Many smokers take years to quit smoking, even when they have expressed a strong desire to quit. OTRU conducted a 12-month ran

Abstract Objectives The province of Ontario, Canada, banned the use of menthol-flavoured tobacco products as of 1 January 2017. The long-term impact of a menthol ban on smoking behaviour has not been previously evaluated. Methods Population cohort st

OTRU continues to generate new knowledge to inform cessation policies and practices through the Research on Advancing Cessation Treatment (REACT) study. This newsletter highlights the findings from the ongoing knowledge synthesis, baseline survey for

While vaping, or e-cigarette use, might help adults quit smoking, the rapid uptake of these products by youth is alarming and raises concerns about the net public health benefit of vaping. OTRU’s RECIG-WP project conducted focus groups to gather insi

Abstract Background Menthol in cigarettes has been shown to increase regular cigarette smoking and nicotine dependence, and decrease success in smoking cessation. Owing to these reasons, in May 2015, the province of Ontario introduced a menthol ban o

The use of e-cigarettes—or vaping to quit—has become one of the most frequently used cessation methods among smokers trying to quit smoking cigarettes. In 2017, 32% of current or former smokers in Canada reported using an e-cigarette as a cessation a

Abstract Objective: We examined menthol cigarette smokers’ reactions to Ontario’s menthol cigarette ban. Methods: In April 2017, past-year adult menthol cigarette smokers from Ontario, Canada (N = 67; 64.2% women) participated in an onlin

Abstract: Background: There are a limited number of studies that have examined the real-world effectiveness of smoking cessation aids and relapse longitudinally in population-representative samples. This study examines the association between use of

Using baseline data from Smokers’ Panel, this study explored gender differences in the use of smoking cessation services and resources. The study found that female smokers were more likely to use the nicotine patch, varenicline, Smokers’ Helpline pho

Abstract The province of Ontario, Canada, implemented a full menthol cigarette ban on January 1, 2017. To date, there has been no population-wide, systematic evaluation of the association of the implementation of a menthol ban with smoker behavior. A

Includes Full Report, Executive Summary, chapter downloads and mini infographic posters Key Findings: In 2015, 20% of Ontarians aged 12 years or older used tobacco products in the past 30 days including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, smokeless tobacco an

This newsletter presents the evidence of smoking cessation interventions in Indigenous populations, and smoking cessation programs targeting indigenous populations in Ontario. There is evidence that cessation interventions can be effective in Indigen

This report updates the evidence statements from The Smoke-Free Ontario Scientific Advisory Committee report, Evidence to Guide Action: Comprehensive Tobacco Control in Ontario (2016) (SFO-SAC 2016), with the most recent evidence from systematic lite

Tobacco cessation interventions by healthcare providers have been shown to significantly increase cessation rates. Three surveys were conducted in 2013, 2015 and 2017 to explore the state of tobacco cessation practices and services in the Central Wes

This brief Project News update on health insurance coverage and smoking cessation treatments presents the effectiveness of insurance coverage, factors affecting the adoption of insurance coverage by employers, and insurance coverage for smoking cessa

This Knowledge and Evaluation Support newsletter highlights two projects. The first, the Niagara Pharmacy Quit Smoking Pilot Program, was a program to support smoking cessation in community pharmacies. The second, Youth Tobacco Prevention with Dental

Abstract Introduction: Common short screening measures of dependence that use number of cigarettes per day may not be appropriate for use in populations of occasional smokers. Aims: In this study, we investigate whether perceived addiction (PA) predi

Despite declining prevalence of smoking in Ontario in the last few decades, rates of smoking cessation have not increased significantly in the last few years. OTRU will conduct Research on Advancing Cessation Treatment (REACT) to study the urgent nee

Abstract Insurance coverage for evidence-based smoking cessation treatments (SCTs) promotes uptake and reduces smoking rates. Published studies in this area are based in the US where employers are the primary source of health insurance. In Ontario, C

Key Findings: Past 30-day use of various tobacco products (including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, snuff or chewing tobacco, but not including waterpipe and electronic cigarettes) reported by Ontarians aged 12 years or older was 20% – statistically lowe

Smoking prevalence among indigenous groups globally often exceed that of non-Indigenous and settler populations in the same regions or nations. In 2016, OTRU published a systematic review on the efficacy of interventions to reduce commercial tobacco

This report provides the results of an environmental scan conducted by the Provincial Young Adult Prevention Advisory Group to identify tobacco-focused workplace activities (beyond the Smoke-Free Ontario Act) undertaken within the past 5 years or pla

This Update provides a summary of the tobacco use cessation services provided at the local-level by all 36 Public Health Units across Ontario for the 2016 calendar year.

Abstract: Background: Clinical trials show the efficacy of dentists’ counseling in smoking cessation. However, little is known about the effectiveness of such advice in the general population of smokers. Objective: To examine the association between