Smokers being recruited to quit in provincial study

Researchers conducting a provincial study are recruiting tobacco smokers.

Those selected will receive medication designed to help them quit at no cost.

It's called Medication Aids for Tobacco Cessation and Health (MATCH).

Participants get a 12-week supply of quit-smoking medication.

Kristy McBeth, the manager of chronic disease at the Windsor-Essex Health Unit, says 17 per cent of Windsor adults are smokers.

"That's still a significant portion of our population. So any different ways we can connect to people in our community  to different resources that will help them in their quit journey, that brings us closer and closer to getting that smoking rate down even further," McBeth said.

McBeth says the program will be beneficial to those without access to such medication.

"This is sort of unique in the sense that it's offering the opportunity for people to get free stop-smoking medication, which essentially isn't necessarily readily available," McBeth said. "If you don't have a workplace plan that covers them or you qualify for the the Ontario Drug Benefit, it isn't necessarily something that you would have access to for free."

More than 20 per cent of the Canadian population currently smoke according to Statistics Canada.

MATCH is an internet-based research study being conducted by scientists at the Nicotine Dependence Clinic at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

The purpose of this research study is to assess the real-world effectiveness of approved smoking cessation medications, bupropion and varenicline.

This study will provide 12 weeks of medication at no cost to help participants quit smoking.