Countdown to No Smoking Day for smokers who want out

Many smokers say “they want out” of their smoking habit and today the Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland (HPA) is encouraging them to kick the habit on No Smoking Day, 10 March, with a television advertising campaign.

The advertising campaign commences today featuring a countdown of the number of days until No Smoking Day. Dr Brian Gaffney, Chief Executive of the HPA, said: “At present 29% of the population here smoke. The good news is that the latest statistics reveal that smoking has decreased but we need to reduce this even further because smoking is still the major cause of preventable deaths in Northern Ireland.

“Every year many smokers set No Smoking Day as the date to give up. Research has shown that smokers who have time to prepare themselves mentally to stop smoking are more likely to stop for good.”

This year the theme of the day is, “For smokers who want out”, and there is a lot of support out there for smokers who are committed to quitting. The television advertising highlights the helpline number, 0800 858585, which people can contact for advice and encouragement in their attempt to break their habit.

Dr Gaffney concluded: “It’s never too late to make a quit attempt, in fact stopping smoking before 35 years of age can reduce a smoker’s health risks to the same as those of a life-long non-smoker.”

No Smoking Day is a major event in the health calendar which has been running for 21years and has helped thousands of smokers to kick their habit permanently.

The television advertising will run until Wednesday 10 March.

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Notes to the editor

1. In Northern Ireland 3,000 people die from illnesses related to smoking each year.
2. Inpatient care linked to smoking here costs at least £22 million each year and one million working days are lost as a result.