DUE TO SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO COVID-19 WE HAVE TO SUSPEND INSTORE TESTING
You can join our Smoking Cessation Programme for free here
The majority of smokers would like to quit smoking at some stage in their life but often lack the motivation to take the initial step. At Lucan Village Pharmacy our intention is to encourage every smoker to consider the benefits of quitting.
We will provide guidance and encouragement to enable you to overcome any difficulties you may encounter when attempting to quit. Whether you have attempted to quit on numerous occasions or have never tried, our aim is to provide whatever support is required to guide you through a process from being a contented smoker to being a confident ex-smoker.
Process of change
Stage 1: ‘Contented’ smoker or pre-contemplation stage - ‘not interested in change’:
- Smokers do not view their smoking as a problem
- Perceived benefits of continuing smoking outweigh the disadvantages
- The aim here is to provide information and advice on benefits of quitting without ‘pushing’ you to change
Stage 2: Thinking about change - contemplation:
- Perception of the negativity of smoking starts to grow
- We help you consider - “What are the benefits to you of stopping?”
Stage 3: Preparing to Change:
- Now you recognise the importance of attempting to quit, we will help build up your confidence so you feel you have the ability to quit successfully.
- We can outline the options available to help you quit, what support is available etc
- Quit attempts are most likely to succeed when you feel it is important to you to quit and you feel confident enough to succeed
- We will arrange regular follow-up appointments
Stage 4: Making changes:
- We will agree on a ‘quit date’
- Plans made during preparation are now put into practice
Stage 5: Maintaining change:
- This stage starts about a month after quit date
- Smoke-free lifestyle is starting to become more habitual
- Cravings should become less frequent
Stage 6: Relapse:
- Relapse is a normal part of behaviour change for many people
- It is important to realise that relapse is not a failure but another part of the process
- On average it takes quitters between 3 and 8 times around the cycle before successfully quitting for good
Benefits of change
In this section we have two short videos that discuss the reasons why a smoker should consider quitting the addiction.
- The first video smoking affects your body
- The doctor discusses the benefits of quitting smoking.