Benefits of stop smoking support
In its guidance, ‘Health matters: stopping smoking – what works?’ (September 21018), PHE estimates around 60% of smokers want to quit, and around 10% want to do so in the next three months.6
Around half try to do so ‘cold turkey’ using willpower alone. However, support and interventions increase the relative chances of success:6
· 1.5 times by using NRT or e-cigarettes.
· two times if using a stop smoking medicine prescribed by a GP, pharmacist or other health professional.
· up to four times by using stop smoking aids with expert support from local stop smoking services – with 16% remaining non-smokers 12 months later.
Smokers report that prompting by a health professional is the second most likely reason for a quit attempt.
“As a matter of routine, [health professionals] should make every contact count and identify smokers and offer smoking cessation interventions,” says PHE.