Each year, the Propel Centre for Population Health Impact brings Canadians one step closer to living in a country free from cancer and chronic disease. And this year was no exception.
In June, Propel’s evaluation of Break It Off, a social media campaign and smartphone app that encourages users to “break-up” with cigarettes, found that 32 per cent of smokers who used the platform quit smoking, compared to 14 per cent of their peers who used traditional telephone-based cessation support services. The study — which made headlines around the world — is helping to change the way public health leaders reach youth demographics and measure program success.
Recently, the Government of Ontario cited findings from Propel’s 2012/13 Youth Smoking Survey as evidence for banning all flavours of cigarettes, including menthol, in its new Making Healthier Choices Act. The Act seeks to enhance public health by regulating e-cigarette sales and updating existing legislature to better protect Ontarians from second-hand smoke.
As more provinces pass comprehensive policies that halt the sale of flavoured products, Propel’s mandate of engaged scholarship has never felt as timely or more urgent. Working closely with organizations and policy-makers, Propel scientists will continue to leverage research and move evidence into action — bringing a brighter, healthier future to all Canadians.
