Skip to content

Greater Victoria residents urged to butt out on ‘Weedless Wednesday’

Those who smoke or vape are encouraged to abstain from smoking for 24 hours
31600703_web1_smoking-age-05-S
People are being urged to butt out on Wednesday. (Unsplash photo)

By Ella Matte, contributor

Those who smoke or vape are encouraged to abstain from smoking for 24 hours on Wednesday (Jan. 18) by the Canadian Cancer Society as a part of their National Non-Smoking Week.

The campaign name for tomorrow is “Weedless Wednesday” and it takes place every third full week of January in the middle of the week. This year it happens to fall on Jan 18.

The National Today asks this: “Did you know that, on average, a smoker lives 10 years less than a non-smoker? This is why ‘Weedless Wednesday’ encourages smokers of tobacco and recreational cannabis to quit the habit for 24 hours. The idea behind ‘Weedless Wednesday’ is to promote a ‘one day at a time approach to quitting smoking, a concept appealing to many smokers who may be discouraged at the thought of an entire week or lifetime without cigarettes, but who may be able to cope with one smoke-free day.”

They gave three tips on how smokers and non-smokers can participate during the day.

They suggest encouraging others to stop smoking for the day, informing others and speaking up against smoking, and last but not least, reframing from smoking entirely the whole day.