Are you ready to QUIT smoking for good?
It's a new year and smokers are being reminded that there are free supports to help their kick the habit for good. With the support of the QUIT team, they are being urged to take the 28-day no smoking challenge and research shows, if you can stop smoking for 28 days, you are five times more likely to quit for good.
The latest campaign from the HSE is asking smokers to focus, not on the reasons they want to quit, but instead on how they are going to do it. This is where the HSE’s QUIT service comes in.
Free, personalised supports include:
Send a free Quit Kit to your home to help you prepare
Send regular supportive emails or text messages
Provide regular supportive phone calls from the HSE QUIT team
Give advice on Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and stop smoking medication
Provide an online personalised Quit plan where you can track your progress
Get one to one support from a Stop Smoking Advisor
Share daily tips and support from people who have quit and are trying to quit on the ‘You Can Quit’ Facebook page.
Dr Paul Kavanagh, National Public Health Advisor, HSE Tobacco Free Ireland Programme, previously said: “We know that the stress of the pandemic made it harder for some people to stop smoking... Whatever your experience, it’s always a good time to stop smoking and take that powerful positive step for your health.”
Health benefits
The health benefits are clear and smokers will find more money in their pockets too.
One in every two smokers will die from a tobacco related disease – with almost 6,000 people dying from the effects of smoking in Ireland every year.
QUALIFIED ADVISORS
The HSE QUIT service is led by experienced advisors, who are ready to provide individualised support that is proven to work. You don’t have to be a regular smoker to use the QUIT service. The HSE team of stop smoking advisors is there to help anyone who smokes daily or less regularly to quit for good.
Martina Blake, National Lead, HSE Tobacco Free Ireland Programme, has this advice: “Because of the harm that smoking brings to our health, whether you are a regular, occasional, or social smoker, it is always the right time to try to quit smoking. We can help you come up with a plan that will help you navigate the challenges and help you quit for good.”
supports
The HSE QUIT service provides personalised, free support by phone, email, SMS and live chat. Freephone 1800 201 203 or freetext QUIT TO 50100 or visit www.QUIT.ie for stop smoking tips and resources. Order a free QUIT Kit, create a QUIT Plan or read other people’s stories.
Peer-to-peer support is also available on the QUIT Facebook Page www.facebook.com/HSEQUIT or on Twitter @HSEQuitTeam