“Tobacco also affects the lives of those close to you,” signs the Week for a Tobacco-Free Quebec for the launch of its 48th edition. From January 19 to 25, the Quebec Council on Tobacco and Health (CQTS), which coordinates the campaign, its partners and the Ministry of Health and Social Services are mobilizing to raise awareness among Quebecers of the harms of smoking.
Carried by the signature of the campaign, the advertisement addresses the way in which tobacco can disrupt everyday life and family balance in a fraction of a second. The viewer follows a mother, at night, in her car with her two children in the emergency parking lot after their father has a stroke during dinner. The ad reminds us that beyond the statistics, tobacco causes real people to suffer.
“We receive heartbreaking testimonies every week from people who are seriously ill or suffering because of smoking. This year’s ad was an opportunity to highlight the devastating impacts of this industry. We are convinced that the perspective of loved ones will resonate with people who smoke to encourage them to quit,” comments Dominique Claveau, interim general director of the CQTS.
Smoking doubles the risk of having a heart attack or stroke
Despite progress in the fight against smoking in recent years, tobacco remains a public health problem: 12.5% of Quebecers smoke.
In 2025, many people continue to suffer from diseases associated with smoking. These diseases can strike suddenly and devastate everything in their path: smoking doubles the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke, or even death.
Concretely, in Quebec, 13,000 people lose their lives each year as a result of illnesses associated with tobacco.
Quit smoking and give yourself and your loved ones a peaceful life
Quitting smoking means giving yourself and your loved ones a peaceful life. This is why the CQTS invites people who wish to quit smoking to use the J’ARRÊTE services:
-Confidential, free help that has proven effective for Quebecers who want to stop smoking or vaping;
--Smoking cessation professionals are available to offer online help (jarrete.qc.ca / iquitnow.qc.ca), help by telephone (1 866 JARRETE (1 866 527-7383 )), or in-person help at smoking cessation centers in Quebec.
Spotting the signs of stroke
The organization also invites the entire population to learn the main signs of stroke through the Heart + Stroke FAST campaign, a medical emergency that strikes without warning. Just knowing these signs can save a life:
-V: is the face sagging?
-I: inability to raise both arms normally?
-T: speech disorder, pronunciation disorder?
-E: extreme emergency, dial 9-1-1
About the Quebec Council on Tobacco and Health
A tobacco-free Quebec. This is the bold vision of the Quebec Council on Tobacco and Health (CQTS). Since 1976, the CQTS has come a long way and will continue to pave the way by mobilizing and bringing together stakeholders from various sectors in order to stop the leading cause of preventable mortality in Quebec, smoking. Building on its historic victory against Canadian tobacco companies in the CQTS-Blais class action for victims of tobacco in Quebec, the CQTS is also committed to preventing the consumption of cannabis and vaping products among young people.
