ALBERTA - When Edmonton resident Andrew Golding, 53, decided to quit smoking on Remembrance Day 2025, he was armed with little more than determination.

But after a pharmacist told him about AlbertaQuits, the free smoking-cessation program within Health Link 811, he wound up with a supportive team in his corner who knew exactly what he was going through – something he credits with his continued success today.

“They knew how to communicate in a way that would resonate with me as an individual,” Golding says. “I felt like I was sharing with a friend. And in this day and age, you just don’t find that level of support and positivity.”

Andrew Golding with his dog, Anna.

Golding decided to kick a decades-long 20-cigarettes-a-day addiction shortly after his wife died. “In my mind I couldn’t inflict anymore pain on myself than I was already experiencing,” he recalls.

Armed with gum, cookies and other snacks, Golding took the approach that he would try whatever tactic was needed to break his addiction.

For example, not long into his efforts he decided to divert to his savings account the amount of money he was pocketing each day without cigarettes.

“Watching this nest egg grow does help keep the train on the tracks,” he says.

Golding had many tools to choose from when he worked with AlbertaQuits:

• Advice on building a quit plan.
• Understanding triggers
• Learning about nicotine replacement therapy and quit medications.
• Tips for quit day.
• Phone support via the AlbertaQuits helpline: 1-866-710-7848 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day)
• A free three-month text messaging program that delivers motivational messages. (Text the word ABQUITS to number 123456 to register for free.)
• A free group support program through QuitCore, accessible via the AlbertaQuits helpline.

For Golding, it was the regular telephone check-ins that he valued the most.

“I believe I had three or four different people who were calling, but there was a real consistency in the level of service and the level of skill. It takes a really skilled hand to make that connection with a person and maintain it over time.”

Andrea Jackson, a program manager with Health Link 811, says it’s gratifying to hear of Golding’s success with the program.

“AlbertaQuits has helped thousands of Albertans like Andrew, each on their own unique journey to becoming tobacco-free,” she says. “It’s really rewarding for staff to hear about success stories like these. No one has to walk the smoking-cessation path alone.”

For more information, visit albertaquits.ca