Hop onboard the new stop smoking bus

Hop onboard the new stop smoking bus

Around 360,000 people aged 16 years and over in Northern Ireland smoke, and sadly half of smokers here die early because of their habit.

To help tackle this issue, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is teaming up with Translink and Cancer Focus to provide a special stop smoking bus which will travel around Northern Ireland in February to support smokers on their journey to quitting.

Health Minister Edwin Poots said: “Smoking is the single greatest cause of preventable ill-health in Northern Ireland and leads to 2,300 preventable deaths here each year. The twin approaches of my department’s ten-year tobacco control strategy are to reduce the number of people from taking up smoking and helping existing smokers to quit this lethal habit.

“I welcome this latest initiative by the Public Health Agency. I believe the stop smoking bus will not only help to raise awareness, but will also offer practical advice and support to people who want to improve their life quality by stopping smoking once and for all.   

“My department invests significantly in smoking cessation services and these services are now provided at more than 600 locations across Northern Ireland. This investment has paid off in the large numbers of smokers accessing these services over recent years. We need to continue to promote cessation services and encourage more smokers to make use of them. The stop smoking bus is an innovative means of supporting the Public Health Agency’s broader stop smoking campaign and of taking this message to smokers across Northern Ireland.”

Dr Carolyn Harper, Director of Public Health at the PHA, explained: “If you stop smoking for 28 days or more, you are five times more likely to stop for good, so we are using the 28-day month of February to get this message out and travel across Northern Ireland helping people to give up smoking.

“Thousands of smokers here have quit already, and while some people might be able to stop with very little help, others may not find it just as easy.

“Our drop-in stop smoking bus will have Cancer Focus experts on-hand to offer advice on stopping smoking and provide information on the support that is available right across Northern Ireland.

“People who hop onboard can avail of a free carbon monoxide test and get a stop smoking Quit Kit, which is a great tool to help plan a quit attempt.

“The bus will travel across Northern Ireland during February, stopping at busy locations in towns and cities. People can call in without an appointment to find out more about stopping smoking and the help that is available. It might be just the boost needed for those New Year’s resolutions. For some people, stopping smoking can take more than one attempt but it is important not to give up.

“While the bus will be out and about in February, year-round support is also available across Northern Ireland to help people stop smoking. There are over 600 free stop smoking services in pharmacies, GP surgeries, hospitals, community centres and workplaces that can provide support and advice which will help you on your journey.”