Over two-thirds of the people seeking smoking cessation advice from pharmacies in the Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow health authority area of London during this year's No-Smoking Day campaign had never done anything about giving up smoking before.
Eighteen pharmacies took part in a four-week health authority campaign, during which encounters with people wanting to give up smoking were recorded. A total of 457 people either asked for smoking cessation advice or the matter was raised with them by pharmacy staff. Of the 457, 434 took steps to counter their habit. Almost half of them (47 per cent) bought products for nicotine replacement therapy.