Thursday, 26 January, 2023

Photograph attached: Barry Muir and Pharmacy Assistant Ann Leith

Stop smoking and save money!

An Angus man has said the rising cost of living inspired him to seek support to quit smoking after 26 years.

Barry Muir from Forfar was spending between £60 and £70 a week on tobacco before he made the decision to stop smoking after seeking support from local pharmacy Davidsons Chemist on East High Street.

Barry said, “I passed the pharmacy and something made me go in and ask about the stop smoking programme. The staff at Davidsons instantly made me feel welcome and made it easy straight away.”

Pharmacy Assistant Ann Leith provided Barry with a range of information about the support available locally to quit smoking, such as free Nicotine Replacement Therapy products and the Tayside Incentive Scheme.

Motivated to stay on track, Barry has not had a single cigarette since signing up to the 12 week Quit Your Way programme which provides weekly support to remain smoke free.

By staying smoke free and taking part in the Tayside Incentive Scheme, Barry has also received £150 worth of supermarket vouchers, in addition to the money he has saved by not smoking.

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.

Barry added, “Using the patches really helped me when I was trying to quit and I am really proud that I have managed to stop smoking.

“I was spending so much money a week on tobacco and I knew it was going to get worse with the rising cost of living. Stopping smoking means I can now save money and I hope to buy a car with the money I’ll save. I want to thank everyone at the pharmacy and the NHS Tayside Quit Your Way service for all the support I received.

“Everyone was very approachable and non judgemental, and they gave me the support I needed to help me achieve my goal and start a new chapter in my life.”

NHS Tayside Public Health Consultant Andrew Radley said, “Barry should be congratulated on his great achievement. His story proves that you can change your life and quit smoking. Just because you have smoked for a long time, it doesn’t mean you always have to.

“Quitting smoking can lead to a richer life in more ways than one. 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.

New legislation has also recently 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