If you’ve ever tried to quit smoking before, you know it’s no easy task.
But what waits for you at the end of your quitting journey is so worth it. Whether you go at it alone or with a little help, whether it’s your first attempt or not — it’s important to remember that this is one of the most rewarding things you can do for yourself.
There are countless reasons to consider quitting smoking, and whatever your motivation may be, it’s important to remember—it’s never too late to start your journey toward a smoke-free life.
In fact, when you stop smoking, your body rewards you almost immediately. 20 minutes after smoking your last cigarette, your blood pressure levels start to stabilize and return to a level similar to that of before your last cigarette. 1
After 24 hours of quitting, your heart attack risk begins to decrease. After 2-3 months, you might even find it easier to breathe, as your lungs relax. 1
A decade after you’ve successfully quit, your risk of lung cancer is halved. 15 years into your quitting journey, you can expect your risk of heart disease to decrease — it’ll look similar to that of a non-smoker. 1
The idea of quitting smoking can be daunting but there are countless resources and tools in place to help you succeed.
If you’re interested in starting your journey, one method that’s been proven to help strengthen your odds of success is the 4D method. 2
The 4 Ds in question stand for: distract yourself, drink water, deep breaths, and delay smoking for as long as possible.
Another helpful tool is using nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) to help you quit. Although quitting cold turkey might seem like the easiest, most cost-effective method, it may only increase your challenges. Only 3-5% of smokers quit successfully going cold turkey, whereas using an NRT can significantly increase your chances of success. 2
NRT stands for nicotine replacement therapy, which is an over-the-counter therapy to help control cigarette cravings and withdrawal symptoms. They work by providing a controlled dose of nicotine to the body to help reduce those withdrawal symptoms and cravings—making it easier to gradually break the addiction to cigarettes.
Many forms of NRTs exist in Canada and are available at pharmacies across the country. The most recent format available in this market is the nicotine pouch.
A nicotine pouch (also known as an oral nicotine pouch) is a small, all-white pouch containing nicotine, usually tucked between the lip and gum, that releases a controlled amount of nicotine into the body.
ZONNIC, launched in 2023, is Canada’s first and only authorized nicotine pouch.
ZONNIC nicotine pouches provide effective nicotine craving control to help you quit smoking.
It is made using high-quality ingredients: water, plant-based fibres, flavouring, sweetener, and nicotine.
ZONNIC is available in 2 packaging formats (24 pouch can and 120 pouch bundle) and three mint flavours with different taste profiles:
These nicotine pouches add to the NRT options for adults 18+ looking to:
ZONNIC is easy to use. Simply follow these 3 steps:
Do not exceed 15 pouches a day. After use, put the pouch in the waste compartment.
If you’re ready to begin your quitting journey, there are many people you can reach out to, namely, a trusted healthcare practitioner like your local pharmacist. A healthcare practitioner can help you make the best decision when it comes to how to quit smoking, building the right quit plan, which NRT is right for you, and other helpful quitting information.
1 https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/smoking-tobacco/quit-smoking.html
2 Canadian Psychological Association. “Psychology works” fact sheet: Quitting smoking. August 2016.
https://cpa.ca/psychology-works-fact-sheet-quitting-smoking/. Accessed April 22, 2025.
3 https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/campaigns/quit-smoking/planner.html
4 https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/smoking-tobacco/quit-smoking/how.html
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