If you smoke or vape, remember to maintain a safe physical distance. Stay at least two metres (six feet) apart if smoking or vaping in a group. Smoke or vape outside instead of inside.
COVID-19 spreads by droplets, including saliva, so it will spread by sharing cigarettes, joints, pipes (including pipes in pipe ceremonies), waterpipes, and vaping devices contaminated by the virus. Do not share your smoking, pipes or vaping materials.
Wash your hands well with soap and water before and after smoking or vaping.
Right now, we do not know if you can catch COVID-19 from exhaled e-cigarette vapour. Exhaled vapour can contain droplets. Keep a distance of 2 metres from others and vape outside to reduce this possible risk.
Everyone knows smoking tobacco or
cannabis affects the lungs. The damage done by smoke makes it easier to get many lung illnesses. People who smoke and vape – even younger people - are at higher risk of more severe illness and complications from COVID-19.
Quitting or reducing smoking or vaping is the best thing you can do to protect your lungs and heart. The most effective way to quit smoking cigarettes is combining nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs help with cravings) with quit coaching (to help you plan a successful quit). We do not know if this works for quitting vaping too, but it's the best available choice at the moment. Talk to your physician/healthcare provider for more information. To get free NRTs (for quitting tobacco products only) under PharmaCare, talk to a pharmacist.
Get free professional coaching through QuitNow by phone or online chat at:
www.quitnow.ca. QuitNow is B.C.’s public quit service. It also has online tools if you don’t want to talk to a quit coach.
Supports on cannabis reduction: