January 25, 2024, OTTAWA – National and international smoking cessation experts will converge in the capital this week to participate in the 16th Annual Ottawa Conference: State-of-the-Art Clinical Approaches to Smoking Cessation, Canada’s premier event promoting the latest ideas and evidence in clinical tobacco treatment, program development and smoking cessation research.
“The Ottawa Conference is the flagship event for health professionals, researchers, and policymakers to share best practices, research findings, and success stories, and to promote evidence-based strategies in preventing and treating tobacco and nicotine addiction,” said Dr. Hassan Mir, a cardiologist and program chair of the Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation (OMSC) at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI).
Proceedings are being held at the Shaw Centre (55 Colonel By Drive) from Thursday, January 25 through Saturday, January 27, closing out Canada’s National Non-Smoking Week (January 21-27).
Topics include
- Canada’s tobacco endgame: Wishful thinking or pipe dream?
- Highlighting the importance of smoking cessation from a policy perspective
- Youth vaping and cannabis use
- Indigenous excellence: Health and smoking cessation (panel discussion)
- Australia’s approach to vaping
- Smoking cessation as a mental health intervention
- Smoking among the 2S/LGBTQ+ population
- New challenges in tobacco control and smoking cessation
- Clinical smoking cessation in 2024: Contemporary issues and contemporary practice
The Ottawa Conference is an initiative of the OMSC at the UOHI. Visit the OMSC website for more information or to download the program.
Media opportunities
The world’s leading smoking cessation authorities will be in attendance. Interviews with the media are possible upon request (subject to speaker availability). Invited speakers include:
- Dr. Andrew Pipe, University of Ottawa Heart Institute
- Cynthia Callard, Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada
- Denzie Hurst, Government of the Northwest Territories
- Dr. Gemma Taylor, University of Bath
- Dr. Hassan Mir, University of Ottawa Heart Institute
- Dr. Jane Philpott, Queen’s University
- Kerri-Anne Mullen, University of Ottawa Heart Institute
- Les Hagen, Action on Smoking & Health Canada
- Lisa Murata, The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre
- Marilyn White-Campbell, Baycrest Health Sciences
- Mustafa Coja, University of Ottawa Heart Institute
- Dr. Nicholas Chadi, Université de Montréal
- Dr. Nick Zwar, Bond University
- Dr. Raglan Maddox, Australian National University
- Richard San Cartier, N’Mninoeyaa Aboriginal Health Access Centre
- Ron Renaud and Halcyon Zoubaidi, The Expand Project
- Dr. Sandra Ofori, McMaster University
- Skylar Urschel, Government of the Northwest Territories
To attend a live in-person presentation or to arrange an interview with a conference delegate, participant or cessation expert, please contact the liaison below.
Media contact
Leigh B. Morris
Communications Officer
University of Ottawa Heart Institute
613-316-6409 (cell)
lmorris@ottawaheart.ca