The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 278 No 7445 p360
31 March 2007

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Smoking ban helps people to quit

Scotland's ban on smoking in enclosed public places is inspiring people to quit the habit, health minister Andy Kerr claimed this week. He was speaking on 26 March: the first anniversary of the ban’s introduction. “Latest statistics show a smoking rate of 24.6 per cent for the first three quarters of 2006, down from 26.2 per cent in 2005 — a greater decrease than in previous years,” Mr Kerr said.

The statistics, published this week by ISD Scotland, show that 46,466 people in Scotland consulted NHS smoking cessation services in 2006. Numbers were highest between January and April, peaking in March. Nearly 5 per cent of smokers made an attempt to quit in 2006. Of those, 34 per cent were successful at one month, 34 per cent were smoking and 32 per cent were lost to follow-up.

The report notes wide variations in cessation services across NHS boards. “Areas with a large pharmacy scheme (which will tend to see large numbers of clients), such as Grampian and Greater Glasgow, have among the highest annual service uptake rates,” it says. But it adds that, because pharmacy schemes are less intensive than smaller specialist services, quit rates tend to be lower.