HSE Press Release
Thursday, 5 October 2023
- You are 5 times more likely to quit for good if you stop smoking for 28 days
- Get a personalised plan to help you quit today with Quit.ie
This Quit Month (October 2023), the HSE is reminding you that advisors and supports are available to help you quit smoking for good.
HSE Stop smoking clinics are FREE as part of a package of supports on offer to people who quit smoking through the HSE Quit Service. Supports include free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) which are licensed medicines that safely give you lower levels of nicotine to help you cope with cravings and withdrawal symptoms that can double your chances of quitting.
Research from the HSE Quit programme has shown that those who engage with the services can begin to take control of their addiction within 28 days and with Quit.ie you can get a personalised plan to help you.
Colm Doyle who is 48 years of age with 5 children, quit smoking last November: “I started the Quit programme when it was suggested to me by a physiotherapist at a meeting at the start of the year in St. Mary's Orthopaedic in Cork. I had been smoking 20-30 cigarettes for about 30 years and had a very high dependence on cigarettes. I tried to give up a number of times on my own with little success. The NRT, through the lozenge and the patch, provided the slow and quick relief of nicotine I needed especially in those early days.
“I am a keen scuba diver and cigarettes were impacting my hobby. The reduced levels of carbon dioxide in my system since I quit smoking has made my breathing a lot more relaxed and I can breathe much easier underwater. Overall, I found the free NRT and the Quit team support much more helpful than the traditional options on the market.
“Most importantly, the health benefits enabled me to walk from Dublin to Cork over 7 days in aid of the charity ‘My Canine Companion’ who provide service dogs for children with autism. If I was still smoking, I don’t think I would have been healthy enough to complete the walk. Since finding success in quitting cigarettes, I have become healthier and have been doing a lot more outdoor activities and challenging myself without being out of breath. I would highly recommend the HSE Quit programme as it has enabled me to quit cigarettes and lead a much healthier lifestyle.”
Dr Paul Kavanagh, HSE Public Health Medicine Lead with the Tobacco Free Ireland Programme, explains: “Over the past two decades we have made great strides in tackling tobacco across the country. However, recent studies show that the rate of people quitting smoking is declining. Unfortunately, it is still the case that 1 in every 2 smokers will die as a result of a tobacco-related illness.
“The Quit programme recognises that smoking is an addiction. Therefore, we provide medically-assessed treatments to give you the best chance of giving up cigarettes for the rest of your life.
“Healthy Ireland surveys repeatedly show that people who smoke want to quit. We are here to help you achieve this. In 2022, almost 1 in 2 of smokers made a quit attempt and 1 in 4 of those have been successful. Quitting smoking is still the most important thing you can do to improve your health, and live a much longer and healthier life.”
Martina Blake, National Lead, HSE Tobacco Free Ireland Programme, says: “You are 5 times more likely to quit for good if you stop smoking for 28 days, and the hardest piece of this process is getting to 28 days. Many people will try to quit cold turkey without any help or support, but most people experience some nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms when they give up smoking. The HSE Quit services are here to help, with support that tackles the addictive nature of smoking.
“Our trained stop smoking advisors can work with you to create a personalised stop smoking plan tailored to fit your lifestyle. They can also advise you on NRT and provide this to you for free. This support can double your chance of quitting by helping address the physical cravings as well as working on your smoking triggers and the emotional side of quitting smoking.”
Quit supports available
HSE Quit services are free and available all year round. The Quit service provides personalised, evidence-based plans, tailored to your needs, using any combination of the support options:
Top tips for quitting smoking successfully
- Don’t feel you need to go it alone. HSE Quit is there for you to help you take this step with simple, practical and effective help, maximising your chance of staying quit for good. Staff will provide non-judgemental support and encouragement.
- Focus on the goal to stay smoke-free for one day at a time until you get to 28 days. Once people get to that goal, they are up to 5 times more likely to stay quit for good.
- Use stop-smoking medicine, like nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). This is a safe, effective and a clinically sound way of getting through the first 28 days and dealing with cravings.
See HSE QUIT on the HSE Quit Facebook page, on Instagram and on Twitter #TakeBackControl #28DayChallenge #QuittingisWinning and quit smoking for good this October.
Last updated on: 06 / 10 / 2023
