Stop Smoking
14/12/2006

From the 1st December Community Pharmacies across the Northern Health and Social Services Board have been involved in providing a scheme to help smokers quit with the aid of Nicotine Replacement Therapy and specialist advice. This regional, twelve week, programme is available to all smokers wishing to stop and is free for those who are exempt from prescription charges.

Christine Kelly, Community Pharmacy Advisor with the Northern Board emphasised the value of Nicotine Replacement Therapy to those wishing to quit:

“Smoking kills up to 3000 people in Northern Ireland every year and is the single greatest preventable cause of premature death and ill health here. Seven out ten smokers would like to quit but find it difficult. Stopping smoking with the aid of Nicotine Replacement and specialist advice can significantly increase their chances of successfully quitting”

She continued to highlight the important role of community pharmacists in developing smoking cessation services:

“Community Pharmacy based smoking services have proven to be very successful since they are easily accessed by large numbers of patients and provide quit rates of up to 60% after four weeks using the service”.

The scheme will be of major benefit to smokers who wish to quit in advance of the planned introduction of smoke-free legislation for workplaces on 30th April 2007.

For more information

http://healthcentrepharmacy.com/content.asp?pageId=3