Get Ready Now For 'No Smoking Day'

With only two weeks to go before this year's No Smoking Day - Wednesday 11 March - the Ulster Cancer Foundation (UCF) is encouraging smokers to think about their wealth as well as their health.

Judith West, (pictured) the Cancer Prevention Officer with UCF said: "As the impact of the credit crunch starts to bite, many families are feeling the pinch. And for smokers it's particularly tough. Those with a 20-a-day smoking habit spend a staggering £2,000 a year on cigarettes - enough to buy a second-hand car.

"It's no surprise then that most smokers would like to quit. No Smoking Day this year is an invitation to smokers to take the first step to a lifelong change.

"Stopping smoking is the most important thing that you can do to improve your health but it requires commitment and planning, and at UCF we're working more closely than ever with smokers who want to stop.

"We would urge smokers to start planning now - as research shows that the more preparation smokers make in advance of quitting, the more likely they are to succeed," she said.

As No Smoking Day approaches, 'quitters' should speak to their GP or pharmacist about stop smoking aids.

"Smokers can quadruple their chances of success if they combine these with stop smoking support services, such as the weekly clinics run by UCF which provide motivation, support and information to help people give up successfully," said Judith.

"Our stop smoking clinics are very informal and offer individual and group support. We talk about smoking habits, tips for giving up and how to cope with cravings.

"We have provided almost 30 clinics in the last year and helped over 50% of those attending to stop smoking within four weeks."

(BMcC/JM)