Ottawa is in the middle of Mental Health Month — and if you've been thinking about quitting smoking, there's never been a better time to make the connection between the two.
Every May, mental health takes centre stage across Canada. Workplaces roll out wellness initiatives, schools hold awareness events, and families check in on each other with a little more intention. But according to Lillian Domjancic, Lead of Tobacco Cessation Programs at the Canadian Cancer Society, one major pillar of mental wellbeing tends to get overlooked in these conversations: tobacco cessation.
It's Not Just About Your Lungs
Most people know that quitting smoking improves physical health — better lung capacity, reduced cancer risk, healthier heart. What's talked about far less is how significantly quitting can lift your mood, reduce anxiety, and improve your overall mental health over time.
For many Canadians who smoke, cigarettes can feel like a coping tool — a way to manage stress or steady nerves in a difficult moment. But that perception doesn't always match the reality. Nicotine addiction creates a cycle where the relief smokers feel is largely the temporary easing of withdrawal symptoms, not a genuine reduction in stress. Breaking that cycle, research has shown, can lead to meaningful improvements in mood and mental clarity.
May Is the Right Moment
With Mental Health Week and a broader national focus on wellbeing happening this month, there's a growing push from health advocates — including those at the Canadian Cancer Society — to make sure tobacco cessation is woven into the mental health conversation, not treated as a separate issue.
The timing matters for Ottawans too. Spring in the capital is a season of renewal: patios are opening, the canal paths are full of walkers and cyclists, and the city has an almost contagious energy after a long winter. It's a natural moment to take stock of habits and make a change.
Where to Get Support in Ottawa
Quitting smoking is hard — and most people need support to make it stick. The Canadian Cancer Society offers free cessation resources, including its Smokers' Helpline (1-877-513-5333), which connects callers with trained coaches who can help build a quit plan tailored to your life.
Ottawa Public Health also offers local cessation support, and many family doctors and nurse practitioners in the city can discuss nicotine replacement therapy or prescription options that make quitting more manageable.
Small Steps, Real Impact
Whether you're thinking about quitting for the first time or have tried before, Mental Health Month is a meaningful backdrop for giving it another shot. The benefits — better breathing, steadier moods, more energy for the things you love about Ottawa living — are worth it.
If not now, when?
Source: Ottawa Life Magazine / Canadian Cancer Society, via Lillian Domjancic, Lead of Tobacco Cessation Programs.
