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Quit and Win this No Smoking Day!

NHS Tayside is encouraging people to quit and win this No Smoking Day by using the support available across Tayside.

No Smoking Day (Wednesday, 13 March) is an annual campaign to celebrate the achievements of those who have successfully quit smoking, and to encourage people who currently smoke to consider quitting. This year’s theme is Quit and Win which aims to raise awareness of the benefits and the ‘wins’ of quitting smoking, for you and your family, health, finances and wellbeing.

To mark No Smoking Day, staff from NHS Tayside’s Quit Your Way team have attended several community venues in Tayside to give advice and information about the free stop smoking service available locally.

The Quit Your Way team hosted an information stand today at Dundee charity Just Bee, based in Meadowside St Paul’s Church. Bruce Doak, Support and Development Worker at Just Bee, which works to help individuals and families combat poverty, said, “It has been very useful to work with the Quit Your Way team as people who use our services have had the opportunity to find out more about the support available from the Quit Your Way service.”

Quit Your way staff also visited Baird’s Pharmacy in the Abbeygate Centre in Arbroath earlier this week to offer support and information to anyone who would like to give up smoking. All pharmacies in Tayside provide a free 12-week stop smoking programme, with free medication and support.

Baird’s Pharmacy Pharmacist Graham McDougall said, “We were so pleased to have the Quit Your Way team here in store to promote the stop smoking service. Our service is free to access and available for the whole community and we are keen to help the residents of Arbroath quit smoking for good.

“Smoking is such a harmful practice and we're passionate about supporting smokers to improve their health, as well as their bank balances! We’d encourage anyone who wants more information to pop into the pharmacy and get advice on what support is available.”

On average, smokers who smoke 20 cigarettes a day can save up to £840 in 12 weeks and over £3,000 in a year by giving up smoking.

NHS Tayside Public Health Consultant Andrew Radley, said, “No Smoking Day gives you the perfect opportunity to think about giving up smoking. Most people in Tayside don't smoke and the number of people who continue to smoke is getting smaller all the time. There is lots of support you can use to help with your quit attempt. Why not ask at your local pharmacy about the free service that they offer to help you stop smoking?

“Quitting smoking can lead to so many benefits - it will save you money but it can also lead to improved physical health. Giving up smoking is the single most important lifestyle decision that anyone can make to improve their health immediately.

“People are four times more likely to stop smoking for good if they use the stop smoking support available. You can access free medication and support that’s right for you at your local community pharmacy, which improves your success of quitting long-term.

“NHS Tayside Quit Your Way services are available for anyone who wants to stop smoking in Tayside.”

People can visit any local community pharmacy or call the Quit Your Way service locally on 01382 424127 or email tay.smokingcessationservice@nhs.scot to find out about all the ways NHS Tayside can help support people to become smoke free.

NHS Tayside also has an incentive scheme to quit smoking that offers £50 a month in weekly vouchers to spend at a local supermarket. Your local pharmacy can give you more information and let you know if you are eligible for the incentive scheme.

You can find and like the Tayside Quit Your Way service page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nhstaysidequityourway, where you can find lots of information about the support available.

NHS Tayside has a strict No Smoking Policy which makes all NHS Tayside premises and grounds smoke free, a policy which is line with all Health Board sites across Scotland.

Legislation has also been introduced by the Scottish Government, making it an offence to smoke within 15 metres of a hospital building.

Contact:

NHS Tayside Communications

(01382) 424138