New drive aims to help 11,000 smokers stub out their habit

Published on Friday 19 June 2009 10:04

MORE than 11,000 smokers in the Lothians will be given extra help to quit in the next two years under fresh plans.

Targets issued by NHS Scotland have shown that, if successful, it would help reduce the number of smokers in the area by eight per cent by 2011 – a significant dent in statistics.

The local health board has already made considerable progress in coaxing some of the 140,000 Lothians smokers away from cigarettes.

But the Scottish Government wants more to be done, particularly among teenagers and pregnant women.

In order to provide the help NHS Lothian will have to find 11,000 smokers who are already one month into the quitting process. Experts deem this a key time where many lapse back into the habit unless provided with more support, such as cessation classes and one-to-one help.

More training has already been organised for community pharmacy staff to help cessation projects, while more staff have been taken on with the objective of reducing smoking.

Additional ring-fenced funding from Holyrood is also on the way, and the number of groups in the community has grown along with significant increases in advertising of the stop smoking services.

Recent research suggests that people living in deprived surroundings are 50 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer – smoking's deadliest legacy – than in wealthier parts.

Health bosses have also targeted ethnic groups who chew tobacco in another smoking-related health drive.

There have been encouraging signs. Last year in the Lothians 44 per cent more people tried to quit than the previous year, and more sought help from NHS Lothian, a tactic which statistics have shown to be the most successful way of stopping.

The health board's stop smoking co-ordinator Helena Connelly said: "We are delighted that more people are coming forward to take advantage of the many free and convenient services we provide.

"You are four times more likely to successfully quit with NHS help than you are if you go it alone and we look forward to continuing to help many smokers break their addictions in future."

Public health minister Shona Robison said the government appreciated giving up smoking was tricky, but adequate support would be provided for those who demonstrated a desire to do so.

She said: "Many people find stopping smoking hard but it's also the single biggest thing anyone can do to improve their health.

"So it's really encouraging that so many people are taking advantage of NHS smoking cessation services and trying to quit.

"Not everyone succeeds at their first attempt but the cessation services are there to support them as they become a non-smoker. We're also committed to stopping people, particularly young people, from starting to smoke in the first place."