Viva Vitality: ‘You’ve come a long way, baby!’

By Rita Aman on August 1, 2025.

Depending on your age, you may be able to remember back to when smoking was permitted in public places. Do you remember when smoking was allowed in school? Recall the haze of smoke above the ice surface at hockey games? Or, how the last three rows on an airplane or bus were labelled the ‘smoking section’? Did restaurants really have a non-smoking section next to a smoking section? It all seems a little absurd now.

Did you ever send your child to the store to buy cigarettes for you? Giving them a one-dollar or five-dollar bill and they came back with cigarettes and change? That seems unbelievable now.

Some may remember the famous advertising campaign launched in the late sixties with a provocative tagline for a new, thinner cigarette produced by the Phillip Morris Company and marketed specifically to women.

“You’ve come a long way, baby.”

The campaign was wildly successful, selling a lot of cigarettes and becoming an instant national catchphrase. The campaign cashed in on the 1960s emerging feminist consciousness and the rise of ‘the New Woman’ – a woman who was independent, self-sufficient and eager to demonstrate her confidence. The campaign convinced thousands of teenage girls to start smoking as a sexy, free-wheeling and even revolutionary act.

During a time when there were few restrictions on where you could smoke, tobacco was seemingly inexpensive and there was little support to help quit, more people smoked and smoked more often.

Things change and fortunately we have also ‘come a long way’ in helping people quit and keeping them from starting. The smoking rate in Canada in the late sixties was almost 50 per cent – nearly half of the population smoked. Today the smoking rate in Canada is only about 12 per cent. This can be attributed to tobacco regulation and taxation.

There are also many options and resources available to help you quit. You don’t have to do it alone. Ask for support from your doctor/health care professional and consider joining a Quit Core group.

Quit Core is a free, six-week cessation group program providing support for adults 18-plus. Through the program you will discover new tips and strategies to deal with stress, cravings and triggers. You’ll connect with others to share experiences and encourage and support one another in the quitting process. And, because one of the most effective ways to successfully quit is to have a good plan, you’ll be supported in designing a quit plan that works best for you.

Quit Core virtual groups are offered regularly. In person groups may be available near you. Check out albertaquits.ca or call 1-866-710- QUIT (7848) for dates and locations. There is no fee, but you must pre-register.

There is help available for you to begin your smoke-free life. No matter how long you have smoked, you will enjoy improved health by quitting. In fact, it is the single most important thing you can do to improve your health and life.

Rita Aman is a health promotion facilitator with Primary Care Alberta

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