No Smoking Day 13 March 2024: meet our Tobacco Free Team

No Smoking Day is an important event in the calendar because it raises awareness and offers people the opportunity to set a quit date.

• 13 March 2024: Main Atrium GRH: 10am - 3pm

Tobacco Free Team members will be there to provide advice and information to patients, relatives, visitors and staff who want to know more about stopping smoking.

Smoking is now seen as a long-term, relapsing condition which can and should be treated by the NHS. By doing so, we can dramatically improve someone's health and wellbeing, boost their chances of recovery from treatment, and reduce hospital admissions and re-admissions.

If you’re a patient who smokes, our Tobacco Free Team are here to help as part of your stay in hospital. More and more smokers are now taking their first steps towards stopping whilst in hospital. With our help and support, you’re much more likely to stop successfully.

The current cost of living pressures mean that stopping smoking is not only a great way to improve your health but also to save money to spend on other important areas of your life.

Stopping smoking is one of the best things you will ever do for your health.  The chemicals in cigarettes and other smoking products kill thousands of people in the UK every year.  The toxins in cigarettes affect your body while you’re smoking and after the cigarette is finished.  The chemicals in cigarettes damage the structure of your blood vessels, including the arteries that carry oxygen rich blood to your heart and brain.

Support to stop smoking

• If you're an inpatient at our hospital, all patients who smoke will be visited by the Tobacco Free team. The interventions include:
  • Access to a Tobacco Treatment Advisor who will work with them to assess their tobacco dependence and collaboratively agree a plan that supports them throughout their stay with us
  • Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) such as patches, gum, lozenges or sprays
  • Upon discharge, they are referred to community services for ongoing support in their quit journey
  • Post-discharge support means that we will follow up with them at around 10 days and 28 days.
• We also have specialist services to support people to stop smoking when they're pregnant
• There's a wide range of support available if you're ready to quit smoking, including on the NHS Better Health website

NHS quit smoking app

Use the NHS Quit Smoking app to help you quit smoking and start breathing easier.

• Find it on the Apple App Store
• Get it on Google Play