Free Quit Smoking Help by Province

Quitlines and free support by province

Where a phone number is missing, we could not confirm it on an official page on the review date. Health Canada's quit-smoking pages list national resources.

National help

Health Canada’s quit-smoking page offers a guide to deciding to quit and points to its tools for a smoke-free life, including videos and an online quit planner. Its page of provincial and territorial quit services lists a national toll-free number, 1-866-366-3667, for talking to a quit coach.

Medication coverage

Coverage differs by province.

• British Columbia. Under the BC Smoking Cessation Program, residents with active MSP enrolment can get the full cost of nicotine gum, lozenges or patches for one continuous course of up to 12 weeks (84 days) per calendar year, with no prescription needed. PharmaCare also covers bupropion and generic varenicline for smoking cessation, paying some or all of the cost depending on the plan.
• Alberta. AlbertaQuits is a free program, while nicotine replacement products are purchased at a pharmacy without a prescription.
• Ontario. An online program offers eligible Ontario adults 6 weeks of free nicotine patches plus gum or lozenges, mailed within about two weeks of enrolling. The Ontario Drug Benefit formulary limits varenicline for adult smoking cessation to 12 weeks (168 tablets) per 365 days, alongside smoking-cessation counselling.
• Manitoba. The Tobacco Quit Card and Counselling Program provides nicotine replacement therapy and counselling to low-income Manitobans through a primary care provider.

For other provinces, ask your quit program or a pharmacist; we have not yet confirmed their coverage from official pages.

How to choose

You can use a quitline, a pharmacist, your doctor, or a mix. A call to a quitline is a good first step because the coach can tell you what your province offers and what is free. See what changes in your body after quitting and how much you could save.