You're four times more likely to quit smoking for good if you use NHS Stop Smoking Services. Here's what you can do straightaway to boost your chances of success.
Talk to your GP. Many people don't realise that their GP can help them quit smoking but there is a lot your doctor can do, such as enrolling you in a 'stop smoking' clinic and prescribing nicotine patches/gum or stop smoking medication.
Join an NHS Stop Smoking Service. Seventy per cent of smokers say they would have already quit smoking if it was easy, which is why it can help to get social support and share tips while you quit. The NHS has stop smoking services staffed by trained advisers all over the country in a range of venues and at times to suit you. You can join a group where local smokers meet once a week or have one-to-one support if you prefer. You usually go for a few weeks and work towards a quit date. Find your nearest NHS Stop Smoking Service from the NHS Smokefree website, or call 0800 022 4332.
Order a free 'quit kit' from the NHS Smokefree website. The kit is packed with bits and pieces to help you stop smoking, including a wallchart to keep track of your progress, stress-busting MP3s, exercises to improve your willpower and even a new toothbrush to keep your mouth fresh.
Get a 'cheerleader' and do it together. Sign up for the NHS Smokefree Together Programme and you'll receive a supportive phone call, email and text the week before you quit, the day you quit and the week after.
Have an emergency number, perhaps for your local NHS Stop Smoking Service. "We’re here from 7am to 11pm every day answering calls from people who are about to have a cigarette and want help not lighting up," says Chris, one of the helpline advisers. "We can talk about why you want to smoke and how to deal with your cravings."
Visit your pharmacist. Nicotine is addictive and self control alone might not be enough. Give yourself a better chance of success by using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). This is available either free or available on prescription from your GP, depending on where you live. Or, you can buy nicotine patches and gum and so on over the counter from a pharmacy.
Email an expert. Ask an expert for advice through NHS Smokefree's Ask an expert service.
Use this stop smoking tool to get daily tips for success.
