If a person smokes, quitting or cutting back is the most positive step they can take for their health. If you have questions about your quit journey or want to support a loved one on their quit journey, join us for this virtual Q&A panel discussion, which will bring in experts with backgrounds in pharmacy, respirology, addiction counseling, and health promotion. Our panelists look forward to sharing their knowledge and answering any questions people have about their quit journey.

PANELISTS' PROFILES

• Jennifer May is the Vice-President of Health Promotion & Government Relations at Lung Saskatchewan and she is celebrating her 25th year working in tobacco control.  Jennifer manages provincial respiratory health promotion activities including; education, prevention, and cessation initiatives, advocates for tobacco control, radon awareness, and environmental issues, and is the co-founder/adult advisor of the provincial Youth4Change group.  Her passion is advocating for change to protect public health and has participated in government relations and advocacy efforts that have led to Saskatchewan’s provincial tobacco legislation in 2004, an asbestos Bill in 2013, and vaping legislation in 2020, as well as scores of other policies and municipal bylaws.
   
• Dr. Erika Penz is an Associate Professor in the Division of Respirology, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan and Program Director for the Respirology Training Program. She has a particular interest in smoking cessation and the interaction of vaping and smoking among youth and is co-founder and co-facilitator of Youth4Change, an education and advocacy youth group aimed at protecting children and youth from the harms of vaping.
   
• Cory Gambler is a Youth Counsellor at the Leading Thunderbird Lodge Addictions Facility. He previously worked with the File Hills Qu’Appelle (FHQ) Tribal Council, which is situated on Treaty 4 territory and provides services to 11 First Nations Communities. For the first 10 years with the tribal council, he worked at a treatment center for First Nations Youth who have had addictions affect their lives. For the next four years, he worked with FHQ Health Services running a tobacco cessation program. The program looked at helping people to cut down and or quit smoking, by the use of NRTs or quit smoking challenges, also, with cultural teachings from elders in the communities.
   
• Kris Berg is a practicing pharmacist that currently works for the Pharmacy Association of Saskatchewan (PAS) as the Director of Professional Practice. Prior to his work for PAS, he worked for six years in community pharmacy and continues to work part-time in a local community pharmacy in Regina. In community practice, his area of focus was on mental health and addiction where he would often encourage individuals looking for support with smoking cessation. Kris is a PACT (Partnership to Assist with Cessation of Tobacco) certified pharmacist and has utilized his training to help support individuals through their smoking cessation journey. 
   
• Rhonda Waditaka joined the Saskatchewan Quits Personal Challenge in 2021 and agreed to be an ambassador for the campaign the following year. Like many people in Saskatchewan who smoke, Rhonda started smoking at a young age. She quit for the first time in 1999 and has stopped and started over the years. Rhonda is excited to share her journey with you, and to encourage and support you on your journey to quitting or cutting back on smoking!