The Manitoba government has launched a three-year pilot program to help hospital patients kick the habit of smoking.
The province is spending $450,000 to train staff at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg to offer support to patients who want to stop smoking and give patients access to stop-smoking medications such as nicotine gum, a nicotine patch or drugs like Champix.
The announcement was made Friday (World No Tobacco Day) by Healthy Living, Seniors and Consumer Affairs Minister Jim Rondeau.
“Our government is helping Manitobans who smoke take the first steps towards quitting,” Rondeau said. “Manitobans staying in hospitals will be able to meet with medical staff who will help them make healthier choices.”
The program will help patients get home from the hospital sooner, reduce their risk of surgical infection and respiratory complications, and diminish the likelihood of needing admission to intensive care.
