Publish date: 10 March 2021
As part of No Smoking Day, Northumberland stop smoking advisor explains how the service continues to support people through these unprecedented times
My name is Carrie Thewlis and I support smokers across Northumberland to quit smoking and this No Smoking Day I wanted to tell people a bit about my role and the support available should they want to quit smoking.
I joined the stop smoking team in the middle of the pandemic, and have been so proud to help people quit smoking as it’s one of the best things you can do for your health and we all know how important that has been over the past year!
We haven’t let coronavirus stop us from giving people the support they need – we have offered one-to-one support throughout the pandemic over the phone, along with the offer of video consultations, and it’s worked really well.
There are many ways to quit smoking and the key is finding the right one to suit you. The benefit of working with our service is that we will work in partnership with you to find out more and formulate individual support and medication treatment plan. We discuss triggers to smoking, coping strategies, and lapse prevention.
Smokers will feel the benefits almost immediately after quitting smoking, some of these are an improved sense of taste, improved circulation, a reduction in blood pressure, and shortness of breath decreases. In the longer term, the risk of developing lung cancer or having a heart attack also drops dramatically. Not many people realise but quitting smoking also has a positive effect on mental health, it improves your mood and reduces anxiety and depression. You’ll also save a lot of money too!
So, why not join all the others and quit for good this No Smoking Day?
For more information or support to stop smoking call us on 01670 813135 or visit www.