Accessible services will be key to helping smokers quit in wake of English smoking ban
Easily accessible and flexible smoking cessation services will be essential if smokers are to be motivated to quit in the wake of the smoking ban in bars and public houses in England, which is due to come into effect in October 2007, according to Robert West, of the Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Unit at University College London.
Speaking ahead of the UK National Smoking Cessation Conference in Gateshead this week, Professor West told The Journal: “The effect of the ban on motivation to stop smoking depends to some degree on how it is handled but experience from other countries such as Norway suggests that there will be a surge in attempts to stop.
“To capitalise on this, it is imperative that there be a co-ordinated campaign advertising the stop smoking services and a simple gateway into those services,” he said. “The stop smoking services need to plan for a ‘flexible response’ so that they can cope with whatever level of increase in demand there is. Specially trained pharmacists could play a crucial role in this.”
Andrew Hyland, associate member of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, New York, agreed that smokers’ attempts to quit will increase if treatments are made easily accessible. He explained to The Journal what has been seen in the wake of smoking bans elsewhere.
“The air is cleaner and health improves, people support the regulations and support increases over time, hospitality economies are not devastated and appear to suffer no adverse consequences,” he said.
“When smokers decide they are ready to quit, a smoke-free environment makes it easier for them to stop successfully. For some people, they will decide to quit right away when the law is implemented or even beforehand, but for many others they will make that decision in the weeks, months and years ahead.” |
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