National No Smoking Day

It is National No Smoking Day!

People across the country are using this day as an opportunity to quit, with the NHS campaign using the theme of Quit your way as a slogan this year.

If you are thinking of quitting, there is ample help out there today. The NHS campaign advises:

Decide on your quit date and go for it! Tell your friends and family the day you’ve chosen to stop smoking and how you’re going to do it. Letting other people know your plans helps you commit to quitting and can encourage your friends and family to support and motivate you.

The NHS and #TellUsYourWay suggested several different ways of quitting smoking. Nicotine Replacement Therapy available from a pharmacy is one, sheer willpower, cold turkey or gradual reduction another and looking into e cigarettes is also mentioned.

Already stopped? Help others by sharing what worked for you. Use the hashtag #TellUsYourWay to post on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and make a statement about how you’re going to quit smoking.

Head over to the campaign website for more help on quitting https://www.nhs.uk/smokefree

Over in Medway there is an awesome campaign going on with the @ABetterMedway team, who are delivering the stop smoking awareness stand today at Medway Hospital until midday as part of No Smoking Day – providing advice and referrals to their services. According to their website, A Better Medway helped over a thousand residents quit last year and they emphasise the benefits of quitting rather than the difficulties.

These can include:  you can save money, feel less stressed, have healthier skin, teeth, hand, better breathing and overall fitness…there are so many benefits to butting it out.

For more information on the Medway campaign, head over to their website  http://www.abettermedway.co.uk/smokefree

other local organisations to help you quit:

• Kent Stop Smoking Service

  Tel: 0300 123 1220
  Email: [email protected]
  Website: http://www.kenthealthandwellbeing.nhs.uk/

• Southend Stop Smoking Service

  Tel: 01702 212 000
  Email: [email protected]
  Website: http://www.southend.gov.uk/info/200445/healthier_lifestyles/473/stop_smoking

• Medway Stop Smoking Service

  Tel: 0800 234 6805
  Email: [email protected]
  Website: http://www.abettermedway.co.uk/