More Islanders would quit smoking with more help, says council

More funding for smoking cessation programs could make a big difference for thousands who want to quit, says the chair of the Council for a Smoke Free P.E.I.

• P.E.I. sees big drop in number of smokers

Islanders who want to quit have little government support, said Marlene Mulligan. Currently, the province offers one $75 credit per Islander for nicotine replacement therapies.

"There's about 21,000 Island smokers, 20 per cent of them want to quit each year," said Mulligan.

"You're talking about over 4,000 Islanders alone trying to quit every year and left to their own devices, only five per cent of them being successful."

Mulligan said it would cost about $1 million per year to have a fully-functioning smoking cessation plan.

More also needs to be done to prevent people from starting to smoke,she said.

CBC News contacted the province for a response, but has not heard back yet.

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