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Free support to help you quit this October

The HSE is inviting people in Mid-West community healthcare region who smoke to take the 28-day no smoking challenge this October.

People who quit smoking for 28-days are 5 times more likely to quit for good; and the HSE’s QUIT team are on hand to help you.

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The HSE has dedicated, local Stop Smoking Advisors who can provide free advice and support to those who want to give up smoking. This is part of two new projects being delivered by the Department of Health – Sláintecare Healthy Communities Initiative Limerick city north and Limerick city south, and the implementation of new Community Care Chronic disease services.

Stop Smoking Advisors provide free, 1-to-1 support to quit smoking. This includes giving advice on using Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) like nicotine patches or gum and other stop smoking medication. Free NRT is also available through the HSE service. This is a new addition and has been really welcomed by those who have availed of it since it was recently introduced.

How does it work?

After a meeting to assess your nicotine addiction and discussing your reasons for quitting your advisor will create a personal plan to help you quit smoking.

 fcaThis will cover:

– what you enjoy and dislike about smoking

– your ‘smoking triggers’ and how you can prepare to cope with cravings and withdrawal – remember these won’t last forever and using nicotine replacement for a short period really helps

– Getting free, professional, non-judgemental, empathetic support gives you the best chance of success.

Bernadette Mullins is a Stop Smoking Advisor with Quit Mid-West, and provides the HSE stop smoking clinics in Kilrush and Ennistymon, County Clare.  She says “It’s never too late to give up smoking – stopping smoking is the single best thing you can do for your health at any age. We support people of all ages who decide to quit. The benefits to health are immediate, especially in relation to their circulation and breathing”

Bernadette says that Stop Smoking Advisors will support smokers from when they decide to give up smoking to when they have smoked their last cigarette and beyond. ‘We can advise people on using medications to help with withdrawal and these things really make a difference and help people to quit” We are with you on your quit journey up until one year after your quit date.

One person who stopped smoking with Quit Mid-West has said ‘I can’t believe its 5 weeks since I had a cigarette – I never thought I’d go this long without one. I’m smoking nearly 20 years’.  Another person noted ‘I don’t hear my chest rattling – I’m not coughing at night time!’ One other person noted ‘my children are so proud, I’m over the moon that I’ve quit for 30 days’.

Contact Linda, in the Quit Mid West service by calling 065 6865841 or emailing quit.midwest@hse.ie.

Linda will link you in with your local stop smoking Advisor. Alternatively you can find a more local source at https://www2.hse.ie/quit-smoking/support-services/. We would encourage anyone who wants to quit to pick this October as the time to do it and get help from the HSE QUIT team.”

The HSE QUIT service provides personalised, free support by phone, email, SMS and live chat. Anyone who smokes can freephone 1800 201 203 or visit www.QUIT.ie. You can order a free QUIT Kit, create a QUIT Plan or read other people’s stories.

 

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