Rankin Inlet (Jan 19/05) - This week is national non-smoking week in Canada.

Many of you may never have heard of this week, but you probably have heard about Weedless Wednesday.

And today, Jan. 19, is Weedless Wednesday -- the focal point of national non-smoking week.

The idea is to promote a one-day-at-a-time approach to quitting smoking.

For many smokers, the idea of going an entire week, let alone an entire lifetime, without a cigarette can be very overwhelming.

But most smokers can cope with the idea of quitting for just one day.

By stopping smoking for this one day, smokers are encouraged to quit by tackling each day separately.

Weedless Wednesday serves as a starting point to stop smoking.

Despite such a focus on quitting smoking, many people are still not sure as to why they should quit.

Well, the glaringly obvious reason is that smoking-related illnesses kill more than 40,000 Canadians per year.

To put it into perspective, smoking kills three times more Canadians then alcohol, illegal drugs, AIDS, car accidents, murder and suicide all combined.

It is the number one cause of preventable disease, disability and premature death in Canada.

Aside from lung cancer, smoking is directly related to heart disease, emphysema, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, mouth and pancreatic cancer, chronic bronchitis, pneumonia and osteoporosis.

And it can lead to impotency in men (which should have every guy leaping at the chance to quit).

For non-smokers, exposure to cigarette smoke can also be very harmful.

According to Health Canada, children exposed to second-hand smoke are 50 per cent more likely to develop asthma or other lung problems.

Adults exposed to second-hand smoke are 20 per cent more likely to get lung cancer or heart disease.

So even if you don't worry about the effects of smoking on your own health, you need to realize your cigarette smoke can kill those you love.

For those contemplating quitting, it helps to know why you would like to quit.

What is your motivation to change? Do you want to feel healthier and be able to play games longer without huffing or puffing?

Do you want to lower your risk of disease and play with your grandchildren more?

Maybe you just want to save money or have your family and friends stop nagging you?

Whatever your motivation is, write it down. It helps to focus on why you want to quit.

Having a reason to quit is the first step in the process of quitting smoking.

During the next few weeks, I'll provide you with the next steps in the process for quitting smoking.

Remember, you can quit smoking, but it will take effort.

So this week, think about your motivation and take the one-day challenge to quit smoking on Weedless Wednesday.

It could be the start of something new for your life.

- Fred Montpetit is a public health nurse in Rankin Inlet.