Mr. Speaker, almost 30 percent of residents in the Northwest Territories over the age of 15 consider themselves as smokers. Smoking, which includes vaping, remains one of the worst substances for your overall health and can significantly reduce a person's life expectancy. That is why the Government of the Northwest Territories continues to find new ways to support residents in making the shift towards a smoke-free life.

Mr. Speaker, smoking is an addiction that often requires several attempts and a combination of tools and supports to overcome. We recognize that quitting is not easy, especially on your own, but with the right resources it is possible.

Today, I am pleased to share a significant milestone in improving our health systems' support for residents so they can quit smoking and be healthier. On January 20th, Yellowknife Primary Care became the first health care facility in the Northwest Territories to implement the Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation; a gold-standard in Canada for integrating supports to help people quit smoking into their routine health care practice. This means that when a resident visits the Yellowknife Primary Care, a standard part of their visit will include being asked about their smoking status. People who indicate that they are smokers and are ready to quit will be actively offered support specifically tailored to their needs by a health care provider trained to help people quit smoking.

In other regions, implementing the Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation has been shown to significantly increase how often health care providers advise and assist residents in their efforts to quit or reduce smoking. This approach has led to:

• Increased long-term smoking quit rates;
• Lowered health care use; and,
• A lowered risk of premature death.

Mr. Speaker, implementing this approach at Yellowknife Primary Care is just the first step this government is taking to enhance the supports for residents who are ready to live a smoke-free life, and work is underway to bring this gold-standard model to Stanton Territorial Hospital and eventually to health centres across the Northwest Territories.
If you are ready to quit smoking, you can talk to your local health care provider at any time or call 811 to talk to a registered nurse trained to help you quit smoking. This is a service that is available to all Northwest Territories residents 24 hours a day seven days a week. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.