It is best for your health and those around you to not use tobacco and vaping products, and to avoid being exposed to them. If you’re not able to stop, think about ways to reduce harm to yourself and those around you.
There is support to help you make changes to reduce and quit.
Note: References to ‘tobacco’ on this page do not include ‘traditional tobacco’ used by First Nations and Metis groups for ceremonial purposes.
Unfortunately, neither are safe. Tobacco and vaping products have toxic and cancer-causing chemicals in them.
These are harmful to your health and the health of those around you. There is no safe amount of use or exposure to tobacco and vaping products although smoked tobacco is generally understood to be the most harmful form.
Learn more about of tobacco and vaping products here.
Stopping the use of tobacco and vaping products is one of the best ways to improve your health and decrease the risk of disease. While quitting is best, reducing your use also has benefits. If you’re not willing to reduce and quit, consider talking with your healthcare provider about other ways to help reduce harm.
Benefits of quitting include:
See more benefits for quitting smoking here.
For more information to lower your risk and quit, go to Tobacco Use, Smoking and Vaping.
There is no known safe level of second-hand exposure to tobacco smoke or aerosol from vaping products. If you can avoid being exposed to second-hand smoke and aerosol from vaping, your risk will be lower and your overall health will benefit.
Second-hand smoke comes from burning a tobacco product or is exhaled by a person who smokes. It increases risk of heart disease, lung infections, asthma and lung cancer.
Aerosol is exhaled from the nose and mouth of people who vape. Second-hand aerosol from vaping may not be as harmful as second-hand tobacco smoke, but there is still risk. For example, cancer-causing chemicals have been found in the urine of people exposed to second-hand aerosol from vaping.
Breathing in second-hand smoke and aerosol from vaping can increase a child’s risk of breathing problems, and problems with the ear, nose and throat.
To decrease harm, use tobacco and vaping products outside and away from doorways, open windows and furnace and exhaust vents. Smoking or vaping in another room or where a window is open, or in a heated garage will not stop the risk of exposure. This is because smoke and aerosol from vaping spread out and your furnace spreads the air through your home.
In Alberta, it is against the law to smoke or vape in a vehicle with your child inside. Opening the window will not remove harm and may spread chemicals into the back seat.
For more information to help reduce risk from exposure, go to Smoking, Vaping and Your Health.
After smoking or vaping, the air clears and toxic chemicals settled on surfaces become a residue known as third-hand smoke or aerosol.
Nicotine and other chemicals have been found on surfaces in homes where people have smoked or vaped. Contact with the residue left behind may cause damage to genetic material in body cells. There can be an increased risk of health problems including asthma and cancer.
Third-hand smoke or aerosol from vaping:
After someone smokes or vapes, third-hand residue and gases may be on their clothes, skin and hair. If someone touches these surfaces or breathes in the particles in the air, they may be exposed to harmful chemicals through their mouth, nose and skin. This can increase risk to your health from these chemicals.
To reduce exposure to third-hand smoke or aerosol from vaping:
It is best to move all tobacco and vaping product use outside the home and car, and away from air intakes.
For more information go to Smoking and Vaping Exposures.
AlbertaQuits is an Alberta Health Services program that provides free support to reduce and quit using tobacco and vaping products. There is a helpline, support group and text service that you can use to get help and advice.
For more information and a full listing of services, please visit Getting Help – AlbertaQuits.
If you or your partner want to learn more about tips to change your tobacco or vaping use, visit Tobacco Use, Smoking, and Vaping.
If you are worried about withdrawal symptoms, talk with your health care provider about what medicines you can use to help you reduce and quit. For more information go to Quit Medications – Preparing to Quit – AlbertaQuits.
Ready or Not contains a lot of information. So we created My To-Do List for you to use as a personal reminder, share with your partner, or bring to your next check-up.
Be sure to click “Add this to my To-Do List” anytime you see something you want to print, email, save, or share. Because we do not ask for any personal information, your list will only be saved for a week after your last added item.
