At the Lung Health Foundation, we support people wherever they are on their journeys, without judgment, pressure, or assumptions. You don’t need to be “ready” to quit. Curiosity, reflection, and small steps all count. Our goal is simple: to help you breathe easier and feel informed, supported, and empowered to make choices that work for you.
For more than 100 years, the Lung Health Foundation has supported Canadians to live healthier lives through education, advocacy, and community-based support. We are a trusted source of evidence-based information on smoking, lung disease, and more recently, vaping.
Our work is grounded in compassion, science, and the belief that everyone deserves access to clear, practical, and respectful support, especially when life can be complicated, stressful, or overwhelming.
We also recognize that access to support is not equal. Cost, geography, work schedules, caregiving responsibilities, disability, language barriers, internet access, other factors can all affect whether someone is able to seek help. That’s why we aim to prioritize low-barrier, free, and flexible supports, including virtual and self-paced options, to meet people where they are.
We recognize that nicotine addiction is complex and that quit or reduction journeys are rarely linear. People may quit, return to use, reduce, pause, or change goals over time and all of that is part of learning what get’s in the way and the importance of self-compassion along the way.
Our approach is:
Non-judgmental, respectful and grounded in the understanding that people’s behaviours are often shaped by the social determinants of health including: environments and challenges.
Not ready to quit completely? That’s okay. Reducing use, changing patterns, adding new strategies or gathering information are meaningful steps. We're here as an active collaborator who provides relevant resources and offerings that address needs and when invited to, support you in achieving your goals.
Everything we share is grounded in best practices and knowledge partners and aligned with clinical guidelines, while remaining practical and easy to understand.
People with lived and living experience of smoking, vaping, reducing, and quitting help shape our programs and services. Your experiences matter.
Our specialized programs and support are non-judgmental, flexible, and work with you to support you on your journey towards your smoke-free or vape-free life. We know that quitting or reducing nicotine can be tough, especially when stress, trauma, or mental health challenges are involved. You don’t have to navigate it alone.
Our history in tobacco control is long and deeply rooted in community advocacy. We’ve helped shape major Smoke-Free Ontario policies, advanced public education campaigns, and contributed to legislation that reduced smoking rates across the province.
Today, we continue to advance protection from tobacco and vaping-related harm through our work with the Ontario Nicotine Action Table (ONAT), a provincial committee that brings together diverse partners to support collaboration, knowledge exchange, and coordinated leadership in addressing commercial tobacco and nicotine use.
Together, we work to strengthen equitable access to cessation supports, reduce commercial nicotine dependence, and inform the development of a provincial Nicotine Action Plan.
The Lung Health Foundation is proud to be the secretariat of the National Lung Health Alliance (NLHA), a collaborative network of provincial lung health charities and other like-minded organizations, all united by a shared commitment to lung health and a smoke-free future.
Rooted in collective decision making, the National Lung Health Alliance works to amplify impact, share knowledge, and advocate for policies that support healthier communities across Canada. Find out more about the NLHA here.
Quash is a free, evidence-informed program that helps youth ages 14–30 to reduce or quit vaping. It offers self-guided online training for adults to deliver structured school or community programs, alongside an interactive app youth can use independently to track progress, manage cravings, journal, and access supportive tools and resources. Quash meets young people where they are without shame, punishment, or pressure and recognizes the social and emotional factors that influence vaping.
Explore tools and support that fit your needs, including quit-reduction options and navigation, mental health resources, community programs, lung cancer screening information, and more.
If you’re unsure where to start, our self-assessment tool can help you reflect on where you’re at today, your goals and readiness without labeling or judgement:
Nicotine is a highly addictive substance that affects both the brain and the body. When inhaled, nicotine can act quickly, reinforcing use and making dependence develop faster than many people expect.
Nicotine is considered a drug which causes addiction and is as addictive as heroin or cocaine.
If you are using nicotine to cope with stress, anxiety, or emotional challenges, you’re not alone and help is available. Support for quitting or reducing nicotine works best when mental health is also addressed. Help is available, and it can be tailored to your needs, pace, and priorities.
Contact Us
18 Wynford Drive, Suite 416
Toronto, ON M3C 0K8
Phone: (416) 864-9911
info@lunghealth.ca
For Media Contact:
Charitable Registration No.
12404 6368 RR0002
Ontario Lung Association is a registered charity operating as the Lung Health Foundation, and is no longer affiliated with the Canadian Lung Association.
