Workers Get Help To Give Up Cigarettes

Main Category: Smoking / Quit Smoking
Article Date: 14 Jan 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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Council staff trying to stop smoking are being given support from their employer, Wear Valley District Council. Employees are being offered fortnightly stop-smoking sessions to give staff the help and information they need to quit.

Andrew Hall, a training officer with the council who gave up cigarettes 12 years ago, set up the group last week. So far, five people have signed up.
Mr Hall used to spend £40 a week on cigarettes and has been able to spend money on other things. He uses that knowledge, along with a jar of tar to represent the lung of a heavy smoker, to spur on the group's members.

"Wear Valley District Council takes its responsibility to help people to stop smoking very seriously by allowing people to attend group sessions. They enabled me to train and become qualified in coaching people to stop smoking. I am passionate to help people stop, as I believe it's the best decision I made after being a 20- a-day smoker for 20 years. Stopping smoking is hard, but the support group does help others to kick the habit."

Joanne Harnett, 23, an administrative officer for electoral registration said, "Because I can attend during worktime, I know I will go to the group every week and that has really given me the support I needed to stop smoking and continue it. Knowing there are other people going through the same thing really helps."

About 150 people a year die from smoking-related illnesses in Wear Valley.

http://www.ash.org.uk