People in Tipperary urged to quit smoking on World No Tobacco Day

World No Tobacco Day is taking place this Wednesday, May 31, and HSE/South East Community Healthcare (SECH) are encouraging smokers to use this date as their opportunity to quit or begin the process of quitting.

The HSE Health and Wellbeing division, through the dedicated Health Promotion and Improvement team, are promoting the many free supports that are available to people in counties Carlow, Kilkenny, south Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford to quit smoking.

An information stand will be available at Tipperary University Hospital from 10am to 12 noon.

These free supports include one to one behavioural support by trained stop smoking advisers to help people to quit and stay quit.

The service aims to help people to reach 28 days smoke-free, at which stage they are five times more likely to quit for good.

Trained Stop Smoking advisors support individuals with changing behaviours, setting quit dates and dealing with cravings and withdrawals. A carbon monoxide monitor is used to track the improvement of the levels of carbon monoxide in the lungs and to validate their progress along the journey, which has proven to be an exceptionally useful tool to help people quit.

Support is also provided through face to face appointments or over the phone with friendly, non-judgemental and trained Stop Smoking advisors.

Since the establishment of a number of new clinics countywide in Wexford in January, there has been a significant uptake in the service. 29% of current smokers are either trying to quit or actively planning to do so, 46% of those who smoked in the previous year have tried to quit and 73% of these have successfully quit (Healthy Ireland 2022).

Supported by the government’s Sláintecare strategy for its aims of integrating hospital and primary care services, the Supporting Pregnant Women and Extended Family to Quit and Stay Quit campaign also operates as a free, dedicated support for pregnant women and their families.

The programme takes referrals of pregnant women (in addition to their partners and family members) from the four maternity departments in the South East (University Hospital Waterford, Wexford General Hospital, St Luke’s General Hospital Carlow/Kilkenny and Tipperary University Hospital) and from primary care/community services throughout the region.

No matter what stage you or your partner are at in your pregnancy, the HSE says it is never too late to stop smoking. You will get the support you need and not be judged. Ask your midwife, GP, healthcare provider or practice nurse to refer yourself to this programme.

Other smoking cessation supports include the We Can Quit programme, which is delivered as part of the Slaintecare Healthy Communities initiatives in Clonmel, Waterford and Wexford and is available to both individuals as well as in group support.

The We Can Quit programme is an evidence-based stop smoking programme, designed to be delivered in the community by trained community facilitators through group work.

We Can Quit is a free, friendly and supportive group programme for men and women who smoke and who want support to quit smoking. The programme offers a weekly stop smoking group and one-to-one support.

The programme is offered by the HSE in partnership with local community organisations.