Help to Quit Commercial Tobacco in Indigenous Communities

Quit programs for First Nations, Inuit and Metis people are about commercial tobacco, meaning cigarettes and similar products, not the tobacco used in ceremony and prayer. In British Columbia, the First Nations Health Authority offers Talk Tobacco by phone, text and live chat. Across the country, Indigenous Services Canada funds community-led programs. This page covers what we could confirm on official pages; services differ by region.

What is the difference between sacred and commercial tobacco?

Both official sources we read draw the line clearly. The federal tobacco strategy page says tobacco is one of four sacred medicines alongside cedar, sweetgrass and sage, and that sacred tobacco is harvested and used differently than commercial tobacco. The First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) describes traditional or ceremonial tobacco as a way to connect with the land and ancestors in ceremony and prayer, and commercial tobacco as a serious risk to health.

The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care makes the same cut in its 2025 smoking guideline: the recommendations do not apply to traditional or ceremonial tobacco use by Indigenous groups.

What is Talk Tobacco?

FNHA announced on 8 April 2022 that Talk Tobacco was available in British Columbia. The page says the program began in Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan in April 2020. It offers culturally appropriate support for quitting smoking, vaping and commercial tobacco use.

What you get, according to FNHA:

• Support by telephone, text message and live chat.
• A service that is free, confidential and open seven days a week.
• Interpretation in many Indigenous languages.
• A quit coach who can help build a personal quit plan, manage cravings and withdrawal, and find local resources.
• Call-ins as needed, or scheduled follow-up calls.

The FNHA page does not print a phone number, so go through Talk Tobacco’s own site for the current contact details.

Does the cost of medication get covered?

FNHA says nicotine replacement therapies and other prescription medications may be covered under First Nations Health Benefits. The word is “may,” so confirm with the benefits office or a pharmacist before you buy. The wider picture of what provinces pay for is in what’s free for me and quit smoking medications and coverage.

What does the federal government fund?

Indigenous Services Canada supports community-led, distinctions-based approaches to reducing commercial tobacco use. About $9.1 million a year is transferred directly to First Nations, Inuit and Metis recipients and organizations, and the federal page describes the programs as strengths-based and culturally appropriate. It also says Indigenous-led cessation is often built into broader community programs, such as those for tuberculosis, chronic disease and housing. In practice, your community health centre or health director may be the first door to knock on.

Are there services in the North?

Health Canada’s list of provincial and territorial quit services links the Nunavut quit site (nuquits.gov.nu.ca) and the NWT Quitline. That page does not say they are Indigenous-specific, so we mention them as territorial options, not as Indigenous programs. The pan-Canadian quitline is 1-866-366-3667. See free quit smoking help by province for the provincial lines, and how to choose your quit method when you are ready to pick an approach.