Couples invited to take the leap and stop smoking

Couples in Calderdale are being invited to take advantage of the leap year and sign up to special NHS stop smoking sessions to help quit the habit for good before No Smoking Day on 14th March 2012.

The couple’s only sessions are being run by Calderdale NHS Stop Smoking Service, which is provided by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. The team offers free friendly support and nicotine replacement therapy such as nicotine inhalers and patches. They can also help with access to Zyban and Champix to help smokers who choose to go smokefree.

Most smokers would really like to stop smoking, but find it hard to quit when their partner doesn’t stop with them. So as part of this leap year the team are encouraging smokers to take the leap together and sign up.

Any couples in the area are invited to sign up to this special free weekly stop smoking sessions where they will be given dedicated support, which they can then use to spur each other on at home.

Sessions will last eight weeks and will take place every Monday commencing 6th February for 8 weeks at King Cross Library from 5.30pm – 6.30pm.

Specialist stop smoking advisor Jan Spence said, "If you weren’t ready to quit as a New Year’s resolution now’s the time to ‘take the leap’. We hope that couples in Calderdale will take advantage of these special sessions to help motivate each other to quit and offer each other support at home when they are finding it difficult. As it’s a Leap Year our aim would be for all the couples to have quit by 29th February and you never know we might even get some proposals! It would then be great for them to remain completely smokefree for No Smoking Day."

For people who weren’t looking to quit with a partner the service also offers a variety of sessions to suit everyone’s needs.

Figures show you’re four times more likely to quit smoking for good if you use NHS stop smoking services and as soon as you stop your body will begin to repair the damage caused by cigarettes, so it’s never too late.

If you live in Calderdale, and would like to sign up to these free couples sessions or would like to find out more about the service contact the specialist stop smoking service on 01422 281505 or email help.2quit@swyt.nhs.uk