More smokers kick the habit

THE number of smokers wanting to quit the habit has increased by half since Guernsey Quitline introduced Nicotine-Replacement Therapy. Quitline has been offering between one week and one month's free NRT to help smokers kick the habit, but when the new drug, Zyban, was introduced in Guernsey nearly three years ago, it gave smokers an alternative. Many of them sought advice from their GPs, who were able to prescribe the two-month course of medication to smokers suited to it. The decision was made to allow Guernsey Quitline to increase its offer of NRT to eight weeks, in line with the two-month prescribed course of Zyban, enabling the efficiency of each smoking-cessation method to be assessed. 'After the initial surge of interest around 1 January, we have seen over 250 smokers in the first quarter of the year, an increase of 50% from the previous year,' said Quitline co-ordinator Annette Henry. 'These smokers were all keen to make a serious attempt at kicking the habit, using a smoking-cessation aid, and this inevitably helped to minimise the possible withdrawal side effects associated with breaking the habit.' She added that research indicated that smokers wishing to stop were more likely to succeed if they used an aid to help them. 'As there are so many products on the market, the Quitline advisors offer advice about which product may be most suited to each individual.' New health warnings on cigarette packets have also deterred thousands of smokers from the habit. The risk of cancer, heart disease, impotence and early death is stressed on the front and back of packets and, since they were introduced in January, calls to the NHS smoking helpline have increased by 12%. The addictive nature of cigarettes means that many smokers are not successful in giving up on their first attempt, but it is essential that they do not stop trying to quit. For more information about Quitline's free NRT service, contact 233170.