Dental hygiene professional associations can
• develop and provide tobacco use cessation continuing
education programs;
• take a role in promoting the reimbursement of tobacco
use cessation services through dental insurance plans;
• encourage provincial governments to recognize dental
hygiene tobacco cessation services as effective and
essential public health promotion services that will aid
in reducing the long-term negative effects of tobacco use;
• act as change agents by advocating for policy changes
and community-based initiatives that would help
reduce tobacco use, such as enacting smoke-free ordinances,
supporting effective health promotion campaigns,
increasing tobacco taxation, restricting tobacco
advertising, and reducing tobacco use placement in
movies.