With the December social calendar fit to bursting with Christmas parties and family get-togethers, it’s no surprise that most smokers tend to wait until the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve to make the decision to quit smoking.
However, smokers in East Sussex are being encouraged to quit their habits now in time for Christmas, and give themselves and their loved ones the best Christmas gift ever.
Here are the East Sussex NHS Stop Smoking Service ‘12 Tips of ‘Quit-Mas’ - designed to provide step-by-step encouragement:
1. WHAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU - Find out about all of the free NHS services available to support you as you go smokefree. There are lots of options across the county located in easily accessible places, such as GP surgeries, pharmacies or community centres. But if you are not sure where to start, call the East Sussex Stop Smoking Service on tel 0800 917 8896 where we can talk you through the options and help you to decide what would suit you best.
2. TAKE THE ADDICTION TEST - Our addiction test will help you to understand the level of your current dependence on nicotine and help you prepare for going smokefree. Go to www.smokefree.nhs.uk and work out your own personal level of addiction.
3. MAKE A DATE - Research shows that the more prepared you are, the more likely you are to succeed in going smokefree. The first thing to do is choose a stress-free day to stop a few weeks from now. This gives you a day to aim for and time to prepare.
4. MAKE A PROMISE THIS CHRISTMAS - What better way to motivate yourself to stop smoking than to promise to quit for those who love and support you? By filling in the form on the Smokefree website, you will be making the first step to stopping smoking. You can also email your promise to a friend or family member and request for your commitment to quit to be listed on this site, making sure you have lots of inspiration to stay smokefree.
5. QUIT TOGETHER - The support provided by the Together Programme may be perfect for those with a busy lifestyle. It's totally free and the NHS Stop Smoking Service helps you through each stage of the process. You get practical support, encouragement and advice including regular mail packs, emails, supportive text messages and phone calls. You can choose how you'd like to be contacted so the information comes in which ever way suits your lifestyle best.
6. SUPPORT AVAILABLE - Use nicotine replacement products or other stop smoking medicines to cope with the withdrawal symptoms. These are available on prescription from the NHS and a much cheaper option than buying them over the counter.
7. COUNT UP THE SAVINGS - Just imagine when you go smokefree, how much extra money will be in your pocket. Our calculator will show you just how much money you could save in a year. Visit www.smokefree.nhs.uk to work out just how much you could be saving - and spending this Christmas!
8. HEALTH TIMELINE - The first few days after you quit can be challenging but you'll be amazed at how quickly your body starts to recover. The benefits start almost immediately - Use our interactive timeline on the Smokefree website to see how your body improves after you stop smoking.
After 20 minutes - Blood pressure and pulse rate return to normal...and you have saved 5.9p so far, so just keep going ...
After 8 hours - Nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in blood reduce by half, oxygen levels return to normal...£1.42 saved - maybe not that much, but you can already feel the improvement in both pocket & body....
9. TAKE A DEEP BREATH - Use a carbon monoxide monitor to see for yourself how quickly your body recovers once you stop smoking. Local NHS Stop Smoking Services offer carbon monoxide monitoring as part of their stop smoking programmes - a great motivating tool to keep you going.
10. SPRING CLEAN YOUR HEALTH - Chuck out your ashtrays, matches and lighters and anything else you needed to smoke. Put potpourri where your ashtrays used to be - your home will smell fresher in no time at all.
11. CHANGE YOUR ROUTINE - Keep in mind that you have taken steps to positively improve your life in a variety ways by quitting smoking. Change your usual daily routine to counteract your old smoking triggers. Do something to help you relax such as taking a hot bath, exercise, or reading. Plan something enjoyable to do every day - you deserve it.
12. TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME - each day without a cigarette is good news for your health, your family and your pocket.
For help quitting, call the East Sussex Stop Smoking Service on tel 0800 917 8896 or visit www.smokefree.nhs.uk
