Stub out smoking this World No Tobacco Day

Smoking kills 2,300 people prematurely in Northern Ireland every year, so the Public Health Agency (PHA) is calling on people to use World No Tobacco Day (Friday 31 May) as the perfect opportunity to quit.

Smoking is the single greatest cause of preventable illness, premature death and health inequality throughout Northern Ireland  and 2,300 people die prematurely each year from smoking-related illnesses such as coronary heart disease, stroke and many cancers.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has selected ‘Ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship’ as the theme of this year’s World No Tobacco Day.

Gerry Bleakney, Head of Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement, PHA, said: “Reducing smoking prevalence is one of the biggest challenges we face in public health and the PHA is committed to reducing the prevalence of smoking within Northern Ireland and will continue to work hard to meet the main objectives outlined in the ‘Ten Year Tobacco Control Strategy for Northern Ireland’ launched in February 2012.

“We know that legislation is vital to reducing the damaging effects of tobacco. The introduction of the Smoking Order on 30 April 2007, the Age of Sale legislation introduced in September 2008, the ban on the sale of tobacco products from vending machines which came into effect in March 2012, and the removal of tobacco displays in large shops from 31 October 2012, are tobacco control measures introduced to help prevent people from starting to smoke, protect non-smokers and encourage smokers to quit.

“We will continue to work closely with the DHSSPS, HSC Trusts and partner organisations in the voluntary sector to prevent the recruitment of new smokers and reduce smoking prevalence in Northern Ireland.”

Stopping smoking is the single most important thing you can do for your health, however it is not easy and different approaches will work for different people. While some people might be able to do it with very little support, others find that planning ahead and making use of the Stop Smoking Support Services that are available can really help them make the decision permanent.

Gerry added: “We know that motivation and support is vital for every smoker who wants to quit and the PHA will continue to provide help to people trying to stop smoking through our ‘Want 2 Stop’ website, which is packed with information on quitting, and through our Smokers’ Helpline. The free stop smoking Quit Kit is also a great tool to help people who are thinking about stopping plan their quit attempt.

“Alternatively, there are over 600 services across Northern Ireland in pharmacies, GP surgeries, hospitals, communities and workplaces that can help with you with your quit attempt,” Gerry concluded.

For more information and useful tips to stop smoking log on to the PHA’s ‘Want 2 Stop’ website www.want2stop.info and order a ‘Quit Kit’ free of charge. Alternatively contact the Smokers’ Helpline on 0808 812 8008.