Welcome
Welcome to our summer The Newcastle Stop Smoking+ Service Newsletter, packed with lots of useful tips, service updates and success stories, as well as the myths and facts of vaping, and a healthy summer recipe to support you on your smokefree journey during the sunny months.
Service Update
Service Manager Rachel
We have had some changes to the staff team over the past couple of months. Lindsey Hunter, one of our Stop Smoking Advisors, with 10+ years’ experience, retired in May 2024. We wish Lindsey all the best for her future adventures.
We will be looking to recruit a full-time paid position later this year, so keep an eye out on the Change Grow Live careers vacancies for more information.
Our online referral form has been adapted to include information regarding our mental health pathway. The referral form will now enable referrers to include the contact details for the CPN (Community Psychiatric Nurse) and any areas of risk.
Following consultation, NHS Digital introduced additional requirements for the quarterly data submission which took effect from 1st April 2024. Our case management system, Quit Manager, has been enhanced to incorporate the necessary fields. We are working alongside Bionical to ensure that our first data submission meets all the necessary requirements.
This is an exciting time for the Newcastle Stop Smoking+ Service, as we are drawing close to the end of our current contract, we will be liaising with stakeholders in preparation of the new contract which commences on 1st October 2024. Watch this space for any updates or amendments to service provision.
As we enter into summer, the days become longer, and the weather becomes warmer…. hopefully! Some of you may be thinking of getting fit and healthy. Quitting smoking will be the best first step towards a fitter and healthier lifestyle. If you or anyone you know wants to quit smoking, DON’T WAIT!! Give us a call today on 0191 269 1103 to get started on your quit journey.
Turn your back on tobacco!
Stop Smoking Advisor Rachel S
I’ve worked for the Newcastle Stop Smoking+ Service for over 4 years and I’m one of 4 Specialist Stop Smoking Advisors. I love my role and being able to support people on their journey to becoming smoke free. It’s very rewarding seeing someone achieve their goals to leading a healthier lifestyle and taking back control.
It's common knowledge that smoking is harmful, but not everyone is aware of the risks. Did you know just one cigarette contains over 7000 chemicals?! Smoking causes around 90% of lung cancers and is the cause of many others, including mouth, throat, bladder, and stomach. Smoking puts you at a greater risk of having a stroke, heart attack or developing COPD too.
Secondhand smoke also carries the same risks to our health as active smoking and children are particularly affected as their bodies are still developing. Even our pets are affected by secondhand smoke. For example, dogs can also develop respiratory issues, allergies and even lung cancer.
In the North-East we have approximately 314,000 adult smokers and the latest evidence shows that 2 in every 3 smokers are killed by tobacco. Many more are living with debilitating smoking related illnesses.
Stopping smoking is the best thing you can do for your health! The benefits of quitting are endless. From the day you stop smoking your body begins clearing itself of the toxins from tobacco.
After just 20 minutes of quitting your blood pressure and pulse will return to normal. Within just 24 hours your body is free from carbon monoxide and in just 3 days your breathing will feel easier too. Quitting smoking will improve your health, but it’ll also save you money, with the average 20 a day smoker spending £4,800 per year on their cigarettes. Just imagine what you could do with that extra money!
Would you like some support to finally become smoke free? Our service can support you to quit smoking. We will support you over a 12-week programme, offering weekly or fortnightly telephone calls to guide you all the way. We can supply nicotine replacement therapy to help curb those cravings and urges to smoke. Together we can get you smoke free. You’re 3 x more likely to kick the habit when accessing the service for support than trying to quit on your own. What have you got to lose by trying?
You can help yourself make your quit attempt easier as well. Set yourself a date to aim towards and prepare by eliminating any cigarettes or tobacco products from your home. Change up your routine so you can avoid triggers to smoke. If you normally smoke as soon as you wake up, instead have a shower, or make a nice breakfast. Cravings and urges to smoke can last up to 15 minutes, make sure to use your nicotine replacement to help and keep your mind occupied too. You could call a friend, do a puzzle, or go for a short walk. Prepare yourself a list of 15-minute activities for when those urges come. Remind yourself of the reasons you want to stop smoking, write them down and think of the benefits you’ll gain from staying smoke free.
Remember we’re just a phone call away for advice and support.
Success story
Jimmy’s story
I’m 53 years old, and I’ve tried to stop smoking before, and a lot of people said to get in touch with the Newcastle Stop Smoking+ Service, so I thought I’d give it a go.
At Christmas I went to Egypt and then when I came back, I decided to quit, and I haven’t had a cigarette since. The Egyptian cigarettes were so strong that they gave me a bad chest, so that was it.
I spoke with the service in January, but I was struggling with it for the first few weeks, but I didn’t have a cigarette, so I went on their website and gave them a phone call.
I started using the nicotine gum for the first 10 weeks, and I didn’t notice any cravings at all. The gum seemed to last a long time, as it was quite tough, so it was distracting my mind and my body.
Since stopping smoking, I have started running too, and I’m now running 5k every day. I’ve also lost a lot of weight, about 5 stone, through a diabetic weight loss programme. I wanted to tone up a bit and get fit as well, and I now have more energy since stopping smoking to do that. I feel so much better, I used to suffer from sleep apnea as well, due to my weight, but now I sleep sound as a pound!
I have noticed huge financial benefits since quitting too, as I used to smoke 20 cigarettes a day, at £15 a packet, so I was spending £105 a week. I would even prioritise buying cigarettes, over paying my bills. I had an app that would pay my bills for me, and I would think - do I miss out on a few days of heating and gas, so I can buy a packet of cigs, which is crazy!
I can buy more expensive clothes now with the money that I’ve saved, as I’ve lost a lot of weight. My sense of smell has improved, so I can actually smell my own aftershave now too. I used to have to buy really cheap aftershave as I was going through it so quickly, to cover the smell of smoke, but now I can get the expensive stuff instead.
I remember I used to have to walk quite far to get to my office from where I’d parked my car, and I would have to stop to cough halfway there, and now I’m running 20,000 and walking my dog 3 miles a day too. I wish I had videoed myself coughing, so that I can use it as a deterrent whenever I feel like a cigarette again, it would soon put me off.
Now when I get a craving, which is usually when I have my first morning coffee at 10am, I put a chewie in my mouth instead. I also go to the gym in a morning too, the health benefits are amazing!
Your body does repair itself, which is harder when you get older, and I’m type 2 diabetic as well. But since stopping smoking I no longer have to take my diabetic medication, I used to have to take 5 tablets a day, but now I don’t take any.
It’s all about breaking habits and routines, and my misses has stopped smoking now too, so that’s helpful. We’re both supportive of each other, so there’s no temptations.
The most important thing I think to remember is, don’t just quit, you need to set yourself up for it and choose a date to build up to.
Get all your cigs out of your system, then start a regime. Getting back from Egypt was mine. Then get in touch with the Newcastle Stop Smoking service. You’ll get a phone call each week, and you look forward to those calls, not just to get your stop smoking products, but to get the ‘well done’ and the encouragement from the advisor as well.
Cigarettes used to govern my life, and they don’t anymore. It’s one of the best things that I’ve ever done.
Myths and facts about vaping
Vaping is a safer alternative to smoking and is proven to be one of the most successful quitting aids to help you stop smoking. Public health research states that it’s 95% safer than smoking tobacco, which is why we use it in our service as a ‘swap to stop’ stop smoking product.
There is lots of misinformation surrounding vapes and cigarettes within the media, so we thought we’d put your minds at ease to separate the facts from the myths.
Myth: Vaping is just as harmful as smoking.
Fact: Vaping is at least 95% less harmful than smoking cigarettes, as it doesn’t contain tobacco, carcinogens, or other harmful chemicals found in cigarettes. Switching completely to vaping, from smoking, significantly reduces exposure to toxins associated with cancer, lung disease, heart disease and strokes.
Myth: Nicotine is very harmful to health
Fact: Although nicotine is addictive, it is relatively harmless to your health. It is the many other toxic chemicals contained in tobacco smoke that cause almost all the harm from smoking.
Myth: Exposure to vapour from a vape is harmful to others.
Fact: Secondhand smoke from a cigarette causes serious harm to others, there is no evidence so far that vaping is harmful to those around you.
Myth: People vape more than they smoke – that must be worse.
Fact: Each puff on a vape carries a small fraction of the risks of a puff on a cigarette. Vaping generally takes longer for nicotine to reach the brain and the user needs to use it more frequently. The puffing behaviour of the user determines the level of nicotine taken into the body.
The volume is usually 2 mls – so a possible 40mg of nicotine (before it’s vaped) is contained in a vape, compared with approx. 10mgs of nicotine in an unburnt tobacco cigarette, meaning that a pack of 20 cigs = 200mgs nicotine (before it’s smoked).
Myth: Vaping is swapping one harmful addiction for another.
Fact: While vapes contain the same addictive substance as cigarettes, i.e. Nicotine, vaping nicotine is far less harmful than smoking tobacco.
Myth: Vapes are not regulated and we do not know what is in them.
Fact: In the UK, vaping products are tightly regulated for safety and quality. If you’re using a vape always buy from a reputable vape store, and avoid disposable vapes.
However, it is important to note, that vaping is not completely risk free. We only recommend using a vape for adult smokers to support them quitting smoking, and staying quit.
If you want to learn more about vaping, there is a great video from Yorkshire Cancer Research called Vaping Demystified.
Gavin’s story
Gavin has been making some healthy choices since having some recent health problems and is now detoxing from alcohol as well as quitting smoking. He likes to write poems as a way to help with his addiction and cravings, to keep his mind and hands busy. A big thank you to Gavin for writing this for us to share, and congratulations for being smokefree since May!
“A cigarette I crave to smoke,
The stench of which I could choke,
Some say my guilty pleasure,
On your health, it will measure.
The chemicals smokers all intake,
Causing pain and heartache.
Not at the time, but in the post,
Cancer is the demon, and you’re the host.
Side effects these are just a few,
Causing harm to me and you.
Every smoker must relent,
The cost of thousands to the government. “
Recipe
Staying healthy and smokefree means more than just stopping smoking. Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health and can help you feel at your best too.
In the summer there’s lots of fresh and healthy options to choose from, and our Stop Smoking Advisor Rachel has a wonderful recipe to share.
Chicken and Halloumi Burgers by Stop Smoking Advisor Rachel
Why not try these chicken and halloumi burgers this summer? They’re delicious and easy to make, taking only 15 minutes. They could even be cooked on the BBQ on a hot summer’s day to enjoy with family or friends.
A few simple ingredients are all you need, and some are optional too. These will give you lots of energy, keep your hands busy, and are lovely served with homemade chips, or a fresh salad.
You can see the full step by step recipe here.
Enjoy!
Get in touch
We’d love to hear from you!
The service is continuously adapting and developing, to make sure we’re providing the best service possible.
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