The NWT government has launched the “Ottawa model of smoking cessation” at Stanton Territorial Hospital with the aim of helping people start to quit smoking when they visit the hospital.
The Ottawa model aims to ensure smoking cessation treatment is provided as part of routine care at healthcare facilities to all patients who use tobacco. It is named after the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.
According to health minister Lesa Semmler, Yellowknife Primary Care became the first health care facility in the NWT to implement the model in January 2025. She described it as “a gold-standard in Canada for integrating supports to help people quit smoking into routine healthcare practice.”
“Smoking is an addiction that often requires several attempts and a combination of tools and supports to overcome,” she told the NWT legislature in March 2025.
“We recognize that quitting is not easy, especially on your own, but with the right resources, it is possible.”
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Semmler said the model means that a standard part of healthcare visits includes questions about a patient’s smoking status. People who indicate they are smokers and are ready to quit, she said, will then be actively offered support to quit smoking.
That may include counselling; nicotine replacement therapies such as patches, gum lozenges or inhalers; smoking cessation medication prescriptions such as Varenicline or bupropion, and follow-up support as needed.
The federal government announced in February 2025 that it would invest $1.9 million toward the smoking cessation project in the NWT.
Data from the 2023 NWT Tobacco, Alcohol and Drug Survey suggests 28 percent of residents aged 15 and older in the territory smoke.
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Residents in Yellowknife, Ndılǫ, and Dettah looking to quit smoking can book appointments with a registered nurse for support by calling (867) 767‑9400 ext. 41602 or requesting a call-back through an online form.
People outside those communities can get help to quit smoking by calling the 8-1-1 helpline.
