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Islanders who wish to quit smoking are being encouraged to visit their local pharmacies for support.
More islanders choose to access the Help2Quit Stop Smoking Service in January, when people tend to make New Year resolutions, than at any other time of year. Furthermore, statistics show that this is when people are most successful in quitting.
In January 2017, 134 islanders set a date to stop smoking through the service, and 66 (49%) of them managed to successfully quit. Quit rates are generally high in January compared to other months. Over the past five years, the average January quit rate was 53%, whereas the average quit rate for the year as a whole was around 43%.
Stopping smoking can be difficult, and whilst many people do quit, some people will relapse.
Dr Rhona Reardon, Help2Quit Lead Nurse, said: “We want to encourage people who may have used the service previously, but who have since started smoking again, to come back and get support. We also want to encourage anyone else who hasn’t used the service to give it a go.
“People often underestimate how difficult quitting smoking is. Only 4% of unaided quitters will be smoke-free after one year, but the success of quitting increases four-fold by using a stop-smoking service and using a stop-smoking medication.”
There are now more pharmacies offering the stop smoking service than ever, with a total of 22 around the island. Pharmacist Mel Boleat said: “We expect to be really busy in January and we’re looking forward to helping lots of people quit.”
Planning a quit attempt is part of the process of quitting smoking, so islanders are urged to think about going to a pharmacy to see an advisor to plan their January quit attempt ahead of the New Year.
In January, all pharmacies will be making people aware of the Stop Smoking Service. They will ask customers about smoking and offer them the opportunity to take part in the scheme, where support and medication can be provided over a nine-week programme. The service also helps people who want to quit using an e-cigarette, also known as a vapouriser.
For islanders with long-term health problems, or those who need extra support to quit smoking, a specialist service is also provided from two specially trained nurses.
