Guernsey’s Health Improvement Commission has launched the first in a series of short films which tell the stories of local people who have given up smoking.
Jayne, who features in the first film, smoked for 50 years before quitting with the help of Quitline, Guernsey’s service dedicated to supporting people as they leave tobacco in the past. The series will continue, featuring the experiences of local people who have used the free service of Quitline to help them quit. This series aims to raise awareness of Quitline and show that while quitting is hard, it is possible with the right help.
The stories were collected in a survey conducted by the Commission, with 88 local people kindly sharing how they quit smoking. Many of the respondents found that Quitline was a very helpful service. Their advice to others thinking of quitting included:
- “Give it a go. Quitline aren’t at all patronising or judgemental, which was my initial fear.”
- “Call in whatever resources you need! Go to Quitline!”
- “Take advantage of the support available on island, Quitline are amazing.”
- “Having my appointments booked in with Quitline was perfect as they gave me everything I needed to succeed and made sure I had enough patches between the appointments.”
- “Speak to Quitline they’re a great help.”
Lucy Cave, Tobacco Harm Reduction Officer at the Health Improvement Commission said: “Locally about 13% of adults smoke and 36% of them say they want to give up in the next six months. This shows that people have the motivation and would benefit from support to turn it into successful quit attempts.
“Nicotine in tobacco products is a highly addictive substance and we know that people are far more likely to quit if they have the right support in place.
“Quitline is a free, professional service, run by nurses who have helped many local people to leave smoking in their past. They offer local support to all islanders as well as free nicotine replacement therapy, and free vaping kits to those who wish to use them. Face-to-face support is a proven method for quitting smoking, and we’re pleased to be shining a light on the assistance Quitline can provide. You can get in touch via email or by phone on 01481 220021.
“Finally, we want to say thank you to everyone who took part in our survey, which gave us an excellent picture of ways that people are successfully quitting locally. We’d also like to send our gratitude to those who have been filmed for this project. By kindly sharing their stories, they’ve given a powerful and relevant way to communicate the message that leaving tobacco behind is possible with the right support.”
Pictured: Jayne, who has taken part in the first of the videos
