Stop Smoking service
There are many benefits of quitting smoking and support from a Stop Smoking Adviser increases your chance of stopping for good. Some pharmacies in North Tyneside are able to offer free support*.
Over the course of 12 weeks, you'll work with your adviser to choose an appropriate treatment (such as nicotine patches, gum or mini lozenges), learn how to use the treatment correctly, and come up with a plan tailored to your lifestyle to help you deal with cravings.
*You must be a resident of North Tyneside to qualify for free support. If you have had a failed quit attempt in the last six months, you cannot access the Stop Smoking service until six months have passed.
To find out more or to access the service call 0191 643 7171 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm) or email stopsmoking@northtyneside.gov.uk
E-cigarettes
E-cigarettes allow you to inhale nicotine through vapour rather than smoke. This vapour doesn't contain tar or carbon monoxide, two of the most harmful elements in tobacco smoke. Using an e-cigarette isn't completely risk-free, but it is at least 95% less harmful than smoking and can help you quit.
E-cigarettes can also be used to stop smoking along with support from a Stop Smoking Adviser.
You can find out more about e-cigarettes here.
Children / young people and smoking
According to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH, 2019), an estimated 207,000 children in the UK start smoking each year. More than 80% of adult smokers report that they took up smoking before the age of 20.
The younger a person starts smoking, the greater the harm is likely to be. Child and adolescent smoking causes serious risks to health both in the short and long term. Children who smoke are more susceptible to coughs and increased phlegm, wheeziness and shortness of breath than those who do not smoke.
Smoking impairs lung growth and may lead to an increased risk of chronic obstructive lung disease later in life.
The earlier children become regular smokers and keep smoking as adults, the greater the risk of developing lung cancer or heart disease.
Nearly two thirds of pupils report being exposed to secondhand smoke. Bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma and sudden infant death syndrome (cot death) are more common in infants and children who have one or two smoking parents.
