OVER the past three years, more than 38,000 people across the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Lanarkshire Health Board areas have stopped smoking with the help of free specialist services. That’s more than the entire population of Motherwell.
In day two of the Evening Times’ Clear the Air campaign, Sarah Swain discovers it’s still not enough and that more needs to be done to cut the numbers and she meets one woman desperate to quit after losing her husband to lung cancer.
LINDA GILMOUR knows exactly why she has to stop smoking. she watched her husband John, who was also a smoker, die of lung cancer last December aged 58.
And although the 55-year-ancient cleaner from King’s Park has been lighting up 10 cigarettes a day since she was 17, she’s finally decided to quit and has joined a stop-smoking group at Govanhill Neighbourhood Centre.
She said: “I thought ‘I need to get a grip’. when I saw my husband deteriorating, that made me more determined. It was awful watching him suffer.”
People are four times more likely to quit by attending a weekly community group than trying on their own. there are around 50 on each week in Lanarkshire and dozens more in Glasgow … and they are free.
When Linda went along to the first meeting of her local group, an information session, she met up with 11 people ranging in age from their late-30s to late-50s.
Two had given up before, while the others were trying for the first time.
“You can have several attempts to stop smoking before you are successful,” smoking cessation facilitator Christine Sharp, 50, told them.
“You are a good support for one another because you are all trying to quit. this is a serious attempt at quitting. It’s a stop-smoking group. It’s not an ‘I’m trying to cut down’ group. but if you have a wee lapse that doesn’t mean you can’t come back. It’s not simple– it’s been your friend for years.”
Christine clarified the benefits of nicotine replacement therapy and passed around some examples such as patches, gum, inhalators, lozenges and nasal spray which group members are encouraged to use. Many are also keen to try drugs such as Zyban or Champix which must be prescribed by a GP.
But, they’re no good on their own.
“They will take the edge of it, but you still have to have willpower,” says Christine. “there is no miracle cure.”
There will be another six one-hour sessions, and group members are expected to stop smoking by week three. on average, more than half will succeed.
NHS health improvement practitioner Bernadette Campbell is on hand to help. she said: “It’s hard. a lot of it is to do with circumstances. if you imagine a roller coaster: some people are going on the big Dipper. It can take some people several attempts to quit. They can quit, but the problem is maintaining it.
“when you come to the group, it’s the commitment. People know you are attending, and if something goes incorrect, there’s somebody to help.”
Simple tips can also make a big difference. Members are told if they always sit in the same chair while they smoke, they should go the furniture around, and if they’re likely to be encouraged to smoke by pals in the pub, not to go.
“People like to see people fail,” says Christine. “if we can’t do it, we don’t want to see anyone else do it.”
Computer salesman Tom Slavin, 59, from Pollokshields, has joined the group. he managed to quit last year for four months, but started again after coming off Champix, which reduces cravings but does have side effects
He said: “I want to exercise more willpower this time. I’m not getting any younger and I’m beginning to get a bit breathless. It’s something I need to stop and it’s also getting too expensive.”
Driving instructor Lawrie Klapwyk, 56, also from Pollokshields, reckons he can save £5000 which he plans to spend on a holiday to the Philippines with his partner, who’s also plotting to give up.
He said: “I’ve only managed to stop for three days before.”
It’s the toughest thing they’ll all ever have to do – but they have got a good chance of making it.
West of Scotland smokers regularly smash targets when it comes to turning their backs on the country’s largest preventable killer.
Last year NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde had the highest estimated uptake of stop-smoking services of any health board region in the country, with nearly 25,000 quitters. Lanarkshire was close behind with more than 12,000 giving up.
The largest number who attempted to give up were people living in the most deprived areas such as Glasgow’s East end, where smoking is most prevalent.
Lanarkshire aims to help another 10,000 smokers quit by 2014, while Glasgow and Clyde’s target is 20,000.
The Evening Times Glas-goals campaign, which helped stub out 15 million cigarettes, drove the message home and encouraged a surge in calls to a stop-smoking hotline.
Other services on offer in Glasgow and Lanarkshire include your local pharmacy, one-to-one drop-in services, telephone support, help while in hospital or through specialist pregnancy or youth services. You can even arrange a stop-smoking group in your workplace.
We’ll help you kick the habit
OUR Clear the Air campaign – run in conjunction with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lanarkshire – aims to highlight the risks of Scotland’s largest killer and help you quit smoking for good.
A total of 36 Scots smokers die every day from horrific illnesses such as lung or mouth cancer, stroke or heart disease.
Then there’s the harm caused to others by second-hand smoke, not the mention the spiralling cost.
For help to stop smoking visit eveningtimes.co.uk/cleartheair or call Smokeline on 0800 848484.
Find us on Facebook by visiting on.fb.me/clearair and Twitter bit.ly/etclearair. We’re also looking for your tales. Get in touch with reporter Sarah Swain on 0141 302 6532 or email sarah.swain@eveningtimes.co.uk
It was terrible to watch my husband die … now I know I must quit smoking