6 March 2008

The Great No Smoking Day Challenge

To mark no smoking day (Wednesday 12^th March 2008), the Southern Health and Social Care Trust is encouraging smokers to take on the ‘Great No Smoking Day Challenge.’

Now in its 25^th year, no smoking day is an annual health awareness campaign that helps smokers who want to stop. Thanks to No Smoking Day, tens of thousands of smokers will quit each year.

Cathy Murray, Smoking Cessation Specialist from the Southern Health and Social Care Trust says: “Smoking is the single greatest cause of preventable illness, leading to coronary heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory illness and killing around 400 people in our area every year.

“Any ex-smoker will agree that quitting can be a really tough challenge, as this year's theme ‘The Great No Smoking Day Challenge’ acknowledges. This theme encourages smokers to focus initially on the manageable target of the first week. We hope the week-long challenge will give quitters the motivation and confidence to go on to lead a smoke-free life.”

This year, the Trust teamed up with the Southern Health and Social Services Board and post-primary schools for a poster design competition to promote No Smoking Day. Hundreds of first year pupils entered the competition and the winning designs from each area will be used in promotional campaigns in schools throughout the week.

In the Armagh and Dungannon area, Saint Patrick’s Grammar School Armagh took 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd prizes. Christopher Curvey came 1^st winning an IPOD Nano, Jason Gillespie came second winning a portable art chest and Ben Kelly came 3^rd and won a USB flash drive.

Siobhan O’Brien, Tobacco Control Co-ordinator for the Southern Health and Social Services Board which sponsored the competition prizes said: “This was a great way of raising awareness of the harm caused by smoking with school children. Northern Ireland has the highest level of teenagers smoking in Europe and every opportunity should be taken to encourage young people from starting to smoke and help young smokers to quit.”

The Trust offers a wide range of free support and advice for those who want to try to stop smoking. For further information Tel: 028 3741 2468.

For further information on No Smoking Day log on to www.nosmokingday.org.uk