The Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit is promoting a series of free quit-smoking support programs coming this fall to Haliburton County Northumberland County and the City of Kawartha Lakes. The Smoking Treatment for Ontario Patients (STOP) Program offers resources and five weeks of free nicotine patches to participants at no cost.

The Health Unit in partnership with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health is running the a STOP session in Haliburton County on Wednesday Oct. 24 at 10:30 a.m. in Wilberforce.

To see if you qualify for STOP call the health unit at 1-866-888-4577 ext. 2202.

Public health nurse Karen Taylor encourages people to sign up for the STOP Program to help them get on the road to tobacco-free living.

“Research shows that patches and other nicotine replacement therapy can increase the odds of people becoming smoke-free” she says. “The fact that patches and quit-smoking resources are offered at no charge through STOP is just another reason to take part in the program. Quitting smoking is a great way to improve your own health and protect your loved ones from the harmful effects of tobacco.”