B.C. to Pay for Anti-Smoking Aids

The province will spend up to $25 million a year to combat a problem that costs it more than $2 billion.

The B.C. government will cover the cost of anti-smoking aids to help get the province's 600,000 smokers to kick the habit. Premier Christy Clark announced that starting Sept. 30, the province would chip in between $15 million and $25 million to pay for nicotine gum, nicotine-free inhalers, and prescription drugs such as Champix. Clark said the investment could lead to savings if enough people quit each year, since smoking costs the B.C. health system about $2.5 billion and claims 6,000 lives a year. Anti-smoking aids are hardly cheap ­– three months' worth of nicotine gum can cost as much as $350 – which is thought to be a barrier for many people who want to quit.