Celebrating 10 years of quitting the cigs (From Southend Standard)

Celebrating 10 years of quitting the cigs

12:40pm Monday 14th September 2009

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NO ONE likes to be a quitter, but when it comes to smoking it’s the best way to be.

This year is the tenth anniversary of Stop Smoking Services.

NHS South East Essex, covering Southend, Rochford and Castle Point, is celebrating having helped more than 20,500 people quit smoking.

In 2008/09, 2,809 local people quit smoking.

While last year across Basildon, Wickford and Thurrock, 3,442 patients quit smoking through the service now offered as part of Vitality, a more comprehensive programme aimed at helping people live healthier lifestyles.

Smoking is the main cause of preventable disease and premature death in the UK with more than 80,000 deaths each year due to smoking.

The improved health benefits and increased cashflow are incentive enough to quit.

But for those who struggle with their deep seated habit, there are a host of ways to support smokers to quit.

Research shows a smoker who tries to stop with support from NHS stop smoking services is four times more likely to succeed than someone relying on willpower.

With either group or individual sessions to choose from, and help over the phone or face-to-face with a GP or pharmacist, people signing up are ensured support in their battle with nicotine.

A course of nicotine-replacement therapies, such as patches, lozenges, gum, nasal spray, inhaler or micro tablets, can be the perfect aid to giving up the cigarettes.

Others choose behavioural support, or a course of Champix or Zyban tablets which block the receptors in the brain that control the craving for nicotine.

Liesel Park, assistant director of public health at NHS South East Essex, said: “It’s great to have helped so many people successfully kick the habit, although there are still plenty of smokers across south east Essex who are struggling to quit and don’t realise the wealth of free services available to them.

“We hope the next ten years are equally as successful so that local residents continue to reduce the risk of developing illness, disability or death caused by cancer, heart or lung disease.”

Norman Cross, an adviser with the service for nine years, said: “I work to train doctors and pharmacists in providing the service.

“Currently, we have 140 signed up. I’ve seen thousands of people go through our doors and it’s good to see they are using us to quit. The highest success rate is the group sessions.”

Latest figures in south east Essex show the overall prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults is at 21 per cent, its lowest recorded level.

Smoking is most prevalent among 20 to 24 year olds with almost a third smoking and then becomes less prevalent as age increases, falling to 12 per cent of those aged 60 and over.

Although thousands of Essex people have quit, there are still an estimated 68,000 smokers in south east Essex and relatively high levels of lung cancer compared to the east of England average.

The South East Essex Smoking Service can be contacted on 01268 464511 or e-mail southessex.stopsmoking@nhs.net

For details on services in south west Essex, call 0800 077 8000 or visit www.lovevitality.org

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