Cessation advice and assistance from health professionals

See data table below with 95% confidence intervals. Among current smokers and recent (past-year) quitters surveyed in 2017, three-quarters had visited a doctor in the past 12 months, while around six in ten had seen a dentist (or dental hygienist) or talked with a pharmacist (Figure 6.27).

Of those who had visited health professionals, smokers visiting doctors received advice most often. Of smokers who had visited a doctor in the past year, 55.9% received advice to quit smoking, compared to 30.9% of those who visited a dentist, and 12.0% of those who had talked to a pharmacist. Figure 6.28 presents this proportion over time since 2003, but direct comparisons between 2017 and 2003-12 should not be made, due to changes in question coverage.

Figure 6.27 data table with 95% confidence intervals

Percentage of current smokers and recent quitters who received advice to quit and information on quitting assistance from health professionals in the past 12 months, 2017
	% Visited	% Received advice to quit	% Recieved information about assistance
Doctor	75.6 [71.0-80.3]	42.3 [37.0-47.6]	26.3 [21.8-30.8]
Dentist / Hygienist	63.1 [58.2-68.1]	19.5 [15.0-23.9]	5.0 [2.9-7.1]
Pharmacist	58.8 [53.7-63.9]	7.1 [4.8-9.4]	5.8 [3.7-7.9]

Data source: Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 2017

See data table below with 95% confidence intervals.

Of those who visited and received advice to quit, more received information about quitting assistance from pharmacists (82.9%)^a, compared to doctors (62.3%)^b or dentists (26.0%)^c.

Figure 6.28 data table with 95% confidence intervals

Percentage of current smokers (and recent quitters)* who received advice to quit from health professionals in the past 12 months, 2003-2017
Year	Doctor	Dentist/Hygienist	Pharmacist
2003	52.6	28.8	17.7
2004	51.7	28.4	17.4
2005	51.4	36.1	15.9
2006	50.3	33.8	14.2
2007	58.2	36.1	15.6
2008	56.4	33.3	12.5
2009	59.4	35.1	14.5
2010	55.7	38.4	17.9
2011	61.8	40.1	16.5
2012	55.8	39.1	13.3
2017	55.9 [50.0-61.9]	30.9 [24.3-37.5]	12.0 [8.3-15.8]

*In the 2017 Canadian tobacco, alcohol, and drugs survey (CTADS), current smokers and recent (past year) quitters were asked. In 2003-2012 Canadian tobacco use monitoring survey (CTUMS), only current smokers were asked.
Data Sources: Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey, 2003-2012; Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 2017

95% confidence intervals for in-text estimates

a: 82.9 [70.2-95.6]
b: 62.3 [54.4-70.1]
c: 26.0 [16.0-35.9]