Share how tobacco products have affected your health

Share your stories on how you have been negatively affected by tobacco use.

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Stories about the health hazards of tobacco products

Since 2011, personal stories have been shared on health warnings displayed on most tobacco products. The following is an example of such a personal story.

Picture of a man with a hole in his throat.
Text description
'I wish I had never started smoking. I was diagnosed with cancer of the larynx when I was 48. I had to have my vocal cords removed, and now I breathe through a hole in my throat.' - Leroy

Tobacco products include those that are smoked, sniffed, sucked or chewed, such as:

  • cigarettes
  • cigars
  • leaf, pipe and chewing tobacco
  • devices intended for use with tobacco, such as those used to heat tobacco products
  • heated tobacco products
  • waterpipe tobacco (also known as narguileh, shisha or hookah)

Share your story

How Canadians have been affected by tobacco use

We want to hear about how you or how someone you know has suffered from an illness or disability that is a result of:

  • tobacco use
  • exposure to second-hand smoke

We also want to hear from you if you quit tobacco use because of a tobacco-related illness or disability.

Examples of an illness or disability from tobacco use include:

  • lung, bladder or pancreatic cancer
  • heart disease
  • stroke
  • head and neck cancers
  • chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), such as emphysema or bronchitis

We may feature the story on tobacco packages for an extended length of time. We may also video-record the story for our website.

Your stories may help to raise awareness about the health hazards of tobacco use.

How to share your personal story

To find out how to share your personal story, contact Health Canada through the comment box below. You can also email us at pregs@hc-sc.gc.ca or call us at 1-866-318-1116.

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