You don't have to quit on your own and it’s actually far better for you if you get some advice and encouragement along the way.
More people in Bexley are giving up smoking than ever before. Bexley Stop Smoking Service has supported thousands of smokers to stop and stay stopped since it started offering it’s free and effective service in 2001. There’s plenty of free help and support available right across the borough and all the evidence shows that the most efficient way to stop is to check in with a Stop Smoking Advisor once a week for at least the first four weeks of your quit attempt. That way you’ll get the best advice about medication, reassurance around any withdrawal symptoms and lots of encouragement and motivation.
Here are our Top Ten tips:
- Call Bexley Stop Smoking Service to find your nearest stop smoking advisor. All GP surgeries have at least one specially trained nurse or health care assistant who can give you weekly support whilst you make the change from smoker to non-smoker. Many pharmacists also offer this support. The core team also provide weekly free Drop-in support north and south of the borough as well as Group Quits, which are very effective and popular. Call 01322 359960 now for more information.
- Set an actual quit date in your diary. Midweek might be better rather than at the start of a busy weekend when you may feel less motivated!
- Use evidence-based medication to help you quit. You’re four times more likely to successfully quit if you use smoking cessation medication and see an Advisor during the first four weeks of giving up. Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is available in the form of patches, gum, lozenges, microtabs, nasal spray or inhalator – there are different strengths and brands and you may be advised to combine two types of NRT products as this is safe and very effective. Your Stop Smoking Advisor can tell you all about this and work out what products would suit you best. There are also two other oral medications – Zyban and Champix – both extremely effective in helping you to break away from tobacco addiction. Talk to a Bexley Stop Smoking Advisor about these treatments as you will be much more likely to be successful than going “cold turkey” and getting no specialist support.
- The week before you set your quit date - keep a diary so you know the times you most felt the need to smoke and are most vulnerable to giving in - then plan to do something else at this time. For example, if you always had a cigarette with your cup of tea, then think about changing that habit – maybe have a drink of water or orange juice instead – so you won’t have the trigger to have a smoke! You don’t have to give up your early morning cup of tea forever – just until you break that association.
- You will notice that you have more free time once you stop smoking. All that lighting up and sitting around smoking eats into your day. Think about taking up a hobby or activity – maybe an evening class or even just a walk down the road after your evening meal. Lots of people who have given up with our service have said keeping busy really helped – they now have the tidiest cupboards and best kept gardens in Bexley!
- If you’re using patches remember to change them every day and finish the course of smoking cessation medication no matter what. You might think you’re doing really well and don’t need to finish your tablets or wear your patch. Most people who don’t succeed in quitting long term have stopped using medication too early or not had the right level of NRT. To give yourself the best chance of success, you need to complete the course. That means using for between 8 – 12 weeks depending on the product. Not that long when you consider most smokers have been puffing away for years and years. It’s so worth persevering so that cigarettes will no longer be ruling your life! All medications are available on prescription – so if you don’t pay for your prescription these will be free.
- Your cravings for cigarettes is likely to be more intense and more frequent during the first few weeks – although some people have told us that it’s a lot easier than they expected. However, you may become a bit grumpy and distracted for a while. Remember this is a normal part of stopping smoking and it will pass. Using your medication properly and talking to a stop smoking advisor will help you cope with this. Don't forget a craving will peak at THREE MINUTES and then start to go away. You can deal with this!
- Once you have stopped for a few weeks, don’t get too confident and think you can just have one! This is the mistake that many smokers make. Once you’ve been a smoker you won’t be able to just have one – it will only lead you back to smoking again. You will also undo all the repair work that’s being going on in your body from the moment you stop smoking.
- Congratulations to you! Keep telling yourself that giving up smoking is the best thing you can do for yourself – and those around you. Feel proud, congratulate yourself and treat yourself to something special with the money you will have saved. Go and see a film , buy yourself a CD – embrace some retail therapy! Stopping smoking is a huge achievement and most smokers would love to be you. They are fully aware of the damage continued smoking is doing to their health but just aren’t ready to stop.
- Stay Stopped – but if you do slip and start smoking again don't despair. Staying stopped takes determination and for some people it can take a number of tries before they are actually able to stop smoking forever. We’re here to help at all stages of your smoke free journey.
Contact us and let us know how you are getting on. We are here to help you.
T: 01322 359960
E: stopsmoking@bexley.nhs.uk