NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has launched a new drive to help people from Inverclyde stop smoking with free face-to-face support.
Smoking is one of the biggest causes of ill-health in Scotland and contributes to around one in every five deaths each year.
The total number of people who smoke is going down each year but it’s an issue that continues to divide communities, with people in Scotland’s most deprived communities more likely to smoke than those living in the most affluent areas.
In Inverclyde, there is a smoking rate of around 19 per cent in the most deprived communities in comparison to just 7.4 per cent in the least deprived.
However, free help to stop smoking is available across all communities through Quit Your Way, the national stop smoking service.
It helps thousands of people stop smoking every year, including Port Glasgow woman Patricia Weir, who quit after 40 years through one-to-one NHS support at 7½ John Wood Street, Port Glasgow.
Through a combination of behaviour change support and nicotine replacement products or medication, Quit Your Way’s specialist practitioners provide tailored help, including through dedicated face-to-face clinics at three locations in Inverclyde:
Greenock Health and Care Centre: One-to-one appointments on Mondays, 10.00am to 4.30pm.
Your Voice Inverclyde: One-to-one appointments on Wednesdays, 9.30am to noon, and group session appointments on Wednesdays, 1 to 2pm
7½ John Wood Street, Port Glasgow: One-to-one appointments on Thursdays, 10am to 2pm.
Call 0800 916 8858 to request an appointment.
Donna Lang, who leads the community-based stop smoking services in Inverclyde, said: “We know stopping smoking can be hard, but overcoming tobacco and nicotine addiction will improve health, wellbeing and finances.
“There’s no judgement with our service; we just want to support as many people as possible to stop smoking and we have more ways to do that than ever before.
“Someone who smokes 20 a day could save £100s in one month if they quit, and with our support they’re more likely to stop and stop for good.”
Sean MacFarlane, wellbeing practitioner at Your Voice Inverclyde, said: “We are a community-led health organisation based in the heart of Greenock Town Centre. We very much value a partnership approach across our projects and within our Living Well Community Hub.
“We strongly believe that Inverclyde citizens should be empowered to take greater control of their health and wellbeing, which can have a direct and positive impact on people’s lifestyles.”
