HSE to launch new supports to help smokers quit

The HSE is today launching new additional supports as part of its QUIT programme to help people who want to give up smoking.

The QUIT service provides a support team of counsellors over the phone, by email, live web-chat or via Twitter and Facebook.

It also features a new interactive website with an online QUIT plan.

People who sign up to the standard treatment programme will be tracked and supported for 12 months.

More information is available on the website QUIT.IE

More than 7,200 people signed up to the QUIT programme in 2014.

Dr. Stephanie O’Keeffe outlined how the HSE will promote the new QUIT service.

"On this day last year, our QUIT campaign launched its powerful advertising featuring Gerry Collins from Greystones in Co. Wicklow, who died earlier this year from lung cancer caused by smoking," she said.

"Gerry’s trio of unique adverts have prompted a remarkable response from smokers trying to quit since they first aired in January 2014, and his family have generously committed to allowing the HSE to continue to use these adverts to lead the QUIT campaign.

"We will continue to show Gerry’s ads – giving people a chance to reflect on why they should quit.

"From now on, they’ll be matched by a call to contact the new QUIT support service – helping smokers know how to quit. We aim to add to the fantastic total of over 500,000 quit attempts prompted by our campaign since 2011.

"We want to continue to reduce the number of smokers, preventable deaths and many thousands of disabilities caused by tobacco that devastate families across the nation each year."