02/21/2026
Kate started smoking in Grade 8. Sneaking ci******es between classes was pretty normal at her Kitsilano High School.
But as time went on we all began to learn about the negative health impacts of smoking. When people who smoke started being corralled into smaller and smaller spaces, then banished outside further and further away, it felt very marginalizing.
Kate worked hard to quit. The community news reporter tried it all – hypnosis, laser, you name it. Kate managed to stop when she was pregnant with her daughter. But she found she was always drawn back in.
“It’s a very social habit. If you are lonely or isolated or don’t fit in, you’ll always fit in if you find another smoker,” explains Kate.
It was shame that ultimately helped her quit long term. Now she worries that shame will stop people who smoke from taking part in lung screening.
Kate saw an article in the Times Colonist about the lung screening program when it launched in 2022. She felt like it was a way to do something positive for her health, almost redemptive, so she signed up. A CT scan showed a shadow on her lung. Kate had regular screening to monitor the spot and when it appeared to be growing, she got a biopsy. That biopsy showed it was benign.
“I was grateful that I didn’t have to tell my daughter that I was ill. That was my biggest fear. I knew if I had a bad diagnosis that I could handle it, but I didn’t want to place that on my daughter. I remember what it was like when my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer. I was a single mother at the time and the stress was enormous. I wanted to spare my daughter.”
Kate wants other people who have smoked to know that they aren’t a burden on the system if they get screened. “You’re doing yourself and the system a favour because this simple step is quick and cheap compared to later stage lung cancer. Not just financially but emotionally too.”
Follow Kate’s advice and don’t let shame stop you from taking care of your health.
“Lung screening can save you a lifetime of worry.”
Learn more about lung screening: screeningbc.ca/lung
