It can be a big step to give up smoking, but with specialist support you are three times more likely to succeed. If you decide to stop smoking you can reduce the risk of developing cancer and improve your general health. Health benefits of stopping smoking:
Evidence shows that people are 3 times more likely to quit for good if they have support from their local Stop Smoking Service. Take the first step by contacting them during office hours from:
Self-referrals can be made online, by telephone or by email. Find out more by visiting the Stop smoking Northumberland website.
Referrals are processed office hours, Monday to Friday.
ICE (Northumbria Healthcare and GP Surgeries) or submit a referral form via our webform
Complete a referral form or visit Northumberland's stop smoking website.
One of our friendly team members will be in touch to arrange an appointment at a face to face clinic or via telephone, whichever is most convenient for you.
If you want to stop smoking and are considering using an e-cigarette, speak with one of our stop smoking advisors who will advise and tailor a support package.
E-cigarettes are battery powered devices that deliver nicotine through inhaled vapour. They don’t contain tobacco so you aren’t exposed to tar or carbon monoxide which are the main toxins found in cigarettes.
Current evidence suggests that e-cigarettes are 95% less harmful than smoking tobacco (PHE 2016).
They can be used on their own or alongside NRT and support from a trained stop smoking advisor.
Congratulations on quitting smoking and being tobacco free. If you want to stop vaping, there are two effective options which can help. However, before you decide which route to take, you should first ask yourself, on a scale of 1 to 10, how confident am I that I can stay smoke-free without using a vape? 1 is not confident at all and 10 is extremely confident. If your reply is lower than a 7, you may benefit from more of a gradual plan for reducing your vaping over several weeks or even months, rather than a quicker nicotine reduction or an abrupt stop.
Quitting vaping abruptly:
If you have only ever vaped and want to quit vaping you can still follow these hints and tips, but try to understand what your vaping triggers are (these are activities that are connected to when/where you vape) and think of alternative activities or distractions as part of your quitting plan.
* There is no rush to stop vaping or feel pressure to do so, you must be ready - evidence shows that short to medium term vaping poses few risks to health. * If at any point when attempting to reduce or stop vaping you feel there is a chance of restarting smoking, then attempts to reduce or stop vaping should be paused, and you should continue vaping until ready to try again. Vaping is less harmful than smoking and priority should be given to ensuring that you do not relapse/return to smoking again. * Ensure the vape you are using is legal and safe, it is important to make sure they fit the following guidelines (E-cigarettes: regulations for consumer products - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)) It is important to source vape products from reputable suppliers to ensure they are health and safety compliant.
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