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Action is needed to boost uptake of stop smoking services, say campaigners

BMJ 2015; 351 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h4578 (Published 24 August 2015) Cite this as: BMJ 2015;351:h4578
  1. Zosia Kmietowicz
  1. 1The BMJ

Smoking cessation campaigners are calling for action to reverse the current downward trend in people seeking support from specialist stop smoking services. They emphasised that smokers who get support from local stop smoking services are four times more likely to quit than by going “cold turkey.”

Figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre showed that, from April 2014 to March 2015, 450 582 people set a quit date with stop smoking services in England.1 This was 23% lower than the previous year and the third consecutive year that the number of people using the services has fallen. At the four week follow-up 229 688 people—just over 51%—reported that they had successfully stopped smoking.1

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training have said that Public Health England must better promote local stop smoking services through mass media campaigns and that local authorities must commission high quality, evidence based services. Local services should also do more to reach out to groups with high smoking rates, and local authorities and the NHS should better support smokers who want to quit by using electronic cigarettes, they said.

On 18 August Public Health England said that stop smoking services should support smokers who choose to quit by using e-cigarettes, even though the devices are unlicensed products.2 Currently, smokers cannot get e-cigarettes on prescription in the same way as regulated nicotine replacement therapy such as patches and gum. However, Public Health England said that e-cigarettes worked most effectively as a quitting aid when used in a supportive environment, such as that provided by stop smoking services, and that it wanted to encourage this.

Andy McEwen, executive director of the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training, said, “Smoking remains the primary cause of premature death and preventable ill health, causing misery to thousands of families and placing a huge burden on local health and social care services. The best way local authorities can address this is by investing in and supporting the local stop smoking services which are proven to be very cost effective.”

Hazel Cheeseman, director of policy at ASH, said, “The stop smoking services provide a vital service to smokers seeking help to quit. However, there is a risk that the decline in use could increase health inequalities, as smoking is one of the biggest causes of the difference in health outcomes between the rich and poor. Local authorities need to ensure that their stop smoking services are reaching those with greatest need.”

Notes

Cite this as: BMJ 2015;351:h4578

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