Pop into 1st Stop on No Smoking Day for help to quit

Plymouth residents wanting support to quit smoking can pop into Plymouth City Council’s 1st Stop in New George Street on No Smoking Day, Wednesday 11 March.

As part of Spring into March Week, run in partnership between Plymouth Community Healthcare’s Livewell team and Plymouth City Council, stop smoking advisors will be on hand on No Smoking Day and throughout the week to provide advice and support. Last year the Livewell team provided Stop Smoking support to 3,500 people in the city.

Councillor Sue McDonald, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Public Health for Plymouth City Council, said: “No Smoking Day is the ideal opportunity to kick the habit – don’t forget you are four times more likely to successfully quit smoking with Stop Smoking support from the health service.

“So if you’re a smoker and you’ve been thinking about giving up, why not pop along to our 1st Stop where you will be able to speak to local Stop Smoking experts and find out how they can help.”

Dr Kelechi Nnoaham, Director of Public Health for Plymouth City Council, said: “Reducing smoking levels in Plymouth is one of the Council’s top public health priorities. Smoking is one of four lifestyle behaviours – along with excessive drinking, inactivity and unhealthy diet – that together contribute to 54 per cent of deaths in Plymouth. The Council has committed to tackling this as part of our Thrive Plymouth ten year plan for improving health in Plymouth."

Spring into March runs every week day this week at 1st Stop from 10am to 4pm, and on Saturday 14 March morning from 10am to 1pm, with free health checks available for anyone aged 40 to 74. The focus on Wednesday is No Smoking Day and there will also be an age progression camera on site to help demonstrate the ageing effects of smoking. On Thursday 12 March will focus on food and nutrition and Friday 13 March the focus is on exercise.

Jane Bullard, Livewell Health Improvement Manager for Plymouth Community Healthcare said: “Anyone aged between 40 and 74 is eligible for a free health check so why not book one in with us at the 1st Stop?

“The Livewell team are here to help you improve your life by adopting a healthier lifestyle and we have a team of health professionals here to help you.

“From stop smoking advice to help with mental and emotional wellbeing, we are here to help improve the health of Plymouth’s local population. We will be offering a mixture of pre-booked health checks and some on the day as well.”

For more information or to book a health check during Spring into March Week, call 01752 437177. On twitter, search #springplymouth or go to www.plymouth.gov.uk or www.plymouthcommunityhealthcare.co.uk and search Spring into March.

For more information on Thrive Plymouth, visit www.thriveplymouth.co.uk

• Livewell are also running a Quit Smoking Group at the Jan Cutting Healthy Living Centre, starting Wednesday 18 March at 6pm. This is a seven week course which gives people the opportunity to quit smoking with others in a relaxed setting with a specialist advisor to support you through the quitting journey. Call 01752 437177 for more information.