The countdown until smoke free legislation comes into effect across England has begun; and with only a few months to go, the Sheffield NHS Stop Smoking Service is using National No Smoking Day on Wednesday March 14th as a time to encourage employers and members of the public to take advantage of free and effective stop smoking programmes available across the city.
Recent research has shown that two in three smokers in the Yorkshire and Humber region plan to give up in time for the smokefree legislation. Young people are the most likely to take the decision to stop, with around 45% of young men and 30% of young women planning to quit.* This means that large numbers of people in Sheffield could start their smokefree lives on National No Smoking Day.
The Sheffield Service has increased the number of stop smoking clinics in convenient locations across the city as they are proving to be highly successful - and they are expecting even more people to contact them in the run up to National No Smoking Day.
Carol Savage, Specialist Sheffield NHS Stop Smoking Service Adviser, said: “We expect huge demand from this year’s National No Smoking Day. Our clinics in Stocksbridge and Upperthorpe in particular have proved very popular and we have already helped many people quit for good at these locations. We have clinics available throughout the city so people should contact us to find out when and where they are. The NHS clinics have been proven to be up to four times more effective at helping people quit than through willpower alone!”
The Sheffield NHS Stop Smoking Service provides free confidential advice and support for individuals, families and groups who want to quit smoking for good. All stop smoking programmes include nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) on NHS prescription. Employers looking to support their staff giving up smoking can also contact the Sheffield NHS Stop Smoking Service for information on setting up stop smoking programmes for their workforce.
John Soady, NHS public health spokesperson at Sheffield Primary Care Trust, said: “We know from the experience of Scotland and other areas that have already gone smokefree, that this provides the extra incentive a lot of smokers need in order to take action to quit. Scotland saw a large increase in the number of people accessing NHS Stop Smoking Services, and we hope that this will provide a big boost to our efforts in the city to reduce the ill-health effects of smoking, which kills about 1,100 people in Sheffield every year. We urge smokers and employers to use the opportunity of National No Smoking Day to take up this NHS offer of help.”
For more information on all NHS stop smoking programmes in the city and to make an appointment, please call the Sheffield NHS Stop Smoking Service on 0800 068 4490 (calls will not be charged) or visit www.sheffieldstopsmoking.org.uk For the session at Stocksbridge Leisure Centre, please call the main reception on 0114 288 3792 to make your initial appointment.
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