THE HSE is urging Limerick people who have decided to take up the task of putting down the butt this January to reach for its free help package.
“Many try to quit alone without supports and therapies that can give the best chance of quitting, such as stop-smoking medications. The HSE is here to help you quit by providing free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) along with other tried and tested supports,” a spokesman for the health service said.
HSE Quit services are free and available all year round. The service provides personalised, evidence-based plans, tailored to individual needs, using any combination of the below support options:
- An online-personalised Quit plan where you can track your progress
- Face to face and group support from local community based services
- Text message or phone support from the freephone quitline on 1800 201 203
- A free ‘quit kit’ to help you prepare
- Free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and advice on how to use it
- Daily tips and support from people who have quit and who are trying to quit on the You Can Quit Facebook page.
Advice from the HSE on giving up smoking includes: not going it alone, engaging with others to support on the journey, including the HSE Quit service; focusing on the goal of staying smoke-free one day at a time until the 28-day milestone (after which people are up to give times more likely to stay smoke-free for good); and using stop-smoking medicine, like NRT, a safe, effective, and clinically sound way of getting through the first 28 days and dealing with cravings.
Dr Paul Kavanagh, a public health medicine consultant lead with the Tobacco Free Ireland Programme, explains how NRT is safe and effective: “NRT are tightly regulated medicinal products which are overseen by the Health Products Regulatory Agency (HPRA) in Ireland. We know NRT is very safe and that it works.”
“It is encouraging to see that more people who smoke are using NRT to help them quit. We have been working hard to improve access and availability of this life-saving medicine. People who smoke and who want to stop, and healthcare professionals who are supporting them, can have full trust and confidence in the safety and effectiveness of NRT.
“Some people who smoke will be wondering about using an e-cigarette or vapes to help them stop. We do not have full trust and confidence in the safety and effectiveness of e-cigarettes as a way to stop smoking and recommend NRT as way to help them through their quit attempt.”
