NHS Lanarkshire is reminding residents of the help available to quit cigarettes and tobacco as the health board marks today’s national No Smoking day.
The health board is encouraging local people to seek support and advice from its free Quit Your Way stop-smoking service, as part of joint campaign with ASH Scotland.
Shirley Mitchell, who is NHS Lanarkshire’s tobacco control programme manager, said: “This is often a time when people who smoke decide to make a dedicated decision to give up.
“Trying to quit smoking at this time may feel overwhelming, but help and support tailored to each person’s needs is available to help them to stop smoking through Quit Your Way Lanarkshire.
“We appreciate that circumstances may mean it’s been even harder to quit this year, and we wanted to celebrate those who have stopped smoking during lockdown.”
Lanarkshire resident Marion Young stopped smoking after 55 years thanks to help from the service, giving up nearly a year ago, and is full of praise for the continuing support she has received from Quit Your Way.
She said: “Covid and the horror of it initially set me thinking it was time to quit smoking; I felt bad that my smoking addiction could add to the burden of the already overworked, overburdened NHS.
“I chose my great-granddaughter Oswyn’s birthday as the day I would stop smoking, since I want to be around to see and enjoy her and her wee brother Ezra for a long time to come.
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“I called the Quit Your Way helpline for advice, and I’m very glad I made that phone call; I feel very lucky and thankful to have this brilliant support structure [of] patches delivered direct to me, weekly follow ups from NHS Lanarkshire staff and the security of knowing I have a number to call anytime I might struggle.
“Now I’m now using the savings to buy things for my garden – if I can do it after 55 years of smoking, it’s not too late for anyone else.”
Health officials say that “smoking remains the biggest preventable cause of ill-health and premature death in Scotland”, and can lead to more serious symptoms in the event of contracting coronavirus – as well as causing or exacerbating breathing problems including asthma and COPD, and can also harm the immune system and heart.
ASH Scotland chief executive Sheila Duffy said: “We know that quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your physical health, but it also improves your mental wellbeing.
“If you’ve been thinking about quitting, No Smoking Day might be the perfect reason – with the help of smoking cessation services, many people have stopped since the start of the pandemic and you can too.”
The free Quit Your Way service can be contacted on 0800 84 84 84 during office hours and accessed online at QuitYourWay.scot, while people wishing to stop smoking can also receive free support from local community pharmacies.
