HPA gives smokers 4,000 reasons to quit
The Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland (HPA) is encouraging smokers to resolve to kick their habit in the new year with a hard hitting public information campaign highlighting that every time a smoker has a cigarette, they are inhaling over 4,000 chemicals – that’s 4,000 reasons to stop smoking.
Dr Brian Gaffney, Chief Executive of the HPA, said: ”This campaign has been timed to encourage smokers to make quitting their 2009 new year resolution and to support and keep them motivated. Research shows that one of the most important elements in successfully stopping smoking is planning ahead, so these advertisements will be broadcast in advance of the new year to enable smokers to think ahead and set 1 January as their quit date. We know that the majority of smokers (75%) want to stop and this campaign has been designed to motivate them to make a serious quit attempt.”¹
The campaign is aimed at all adults who smoke, particularly unskilled and semi-skilled manual workers. Evidence shows that tobacco is a major cause of health inequalities and is the principal cause of the gap in life expectancy between rich and poor.² Research indicates the gap in this divide is widening, with only 12% of professionals smoking compared to 35% of unskilled manual workers.
The campaign incorporates television, radio, online and outdoor advertising. The radio advertisements have been developed in the form of testimonials to highlight the less well known health effects of smoking – throat cancer and gangrene.
Attending the launch and addressing the audience was an ex-smoker of 42 years, Gary Burnside, who was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer in spring 2005. Mr Burnside said: “I was careless of the damage to my body that could be caused by smoking. As the cancer in my larynx was not arrested by radiotherapy, I eventually had to have the necessary laryngectomy which meant removing my voice box. The result of this was being speechless for two weeks and being fed through my nose. I was then told I would have a voice prosthesis valve which meant I was able to speak again without a voice box. However, this required a period of time to learn to communicate with the valve.“
The radio advertising also aims to raise awareness of smoking and Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD). The awareness of the link between smoking and PAD is much lower than awareness of the other health effects of smoking. The primary risk factor for PAD, which causes blockage in the arteries and can lead to gangrene, is smoking. Severe cases of this condition can result in amputation. Smokers are at least 10 – 16 times more likely to develop PAD compared to non-smokers.
Dr Gaffney concluded: “We know that stopping smoking is not easy and smokers can make more than a dozen quit attempts before they successfully stop smoking for good. We want smokers who see and hear the campaign to feel motivated to make a quit attempt and take advantage of the smoking cessation support that is available for them.”
There are more than 600 smoking cessation services across Northern Ireland. Smokers can contact the Smokers’ Helpline on 0800 85 85 85 which offers free support and advice and can also direct them to their nearest smoking cessation service. Smokers can also text ‘QUIT’ to 60900 to receive support by SMS and can visit the smoking cessation website: www.want2stop.info. The campaign will run from 29 December until 26 January 2009.
END
Notes to the Editor
There will be a media facility at the HPA, 18 Ormeau Avenue, Belfast, on Tuesday 16 December 2008 at 11:15am. The launch will commence at 10:45 am.
¹ Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. The continuous household survey. Belfast: NISRA, 1983-2008 http://www.csu.nisra.gov.uk/survey.asp140.htm
² Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. A five year tobacco action plan 2003-2008. Belfast: DHSSPS, 2003
For further information contact:
Jenny Dougan or Edel Gallagher on 028 9031 1611 or 07802 299945.
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