Overview

• Published in CMAJ by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care, the guidance responds to tobacco’s status as Canada’s leading preventable cause of death.
• Recommended options include counseling, text-based support and self-help materials alongside pharmacotherapy that can be used alone or in combination.
• Endorsed medications are nicotine replacement therapy, varenicline, bupropion and cytisine, with cytisine highlighted as an evidence-supported, cost-conscious choice.
• E‑cigarettes receive a conditional recommendation against as a first choice, to be considered only for people who cannot quit with other interventions or who strongly prefer them.
• The guideline notes no e‑cigarette is approved for cessation in Canada, cites limited long‑term safety data, rejects alternative therapies such as acupuncture and hypnosis, and excludes ceremonial Indigenous tobacco use from its scope.