Stop smoking this year
The new year is always a time for people to attempt to give up smoking, and there are high failure rates, but the HSE’s Free Stop Smoking clinics massively reduce those.
The free, one-to-one smoking cessation advice with smoking cessation advisers as well as free nicotine replacement products commenced in 2023 via 152 Nationwide STOP Smoking Clinics.
As a pharmacist Eamonn Brady (Whelehans Pharmacy) finds “that so few people are aware of these excellent stop smoking clinics”.
“Two Stop Smoking Clinics are based in Mullingar and two in Athlone. The service is not means tested (your income is irrelevant), so for anyone aiming to give up cigarettes for good, it is an effective, free and confidential way, firstly to break the cycle and give up, and secondly stay off cigarettes for good – which is an area many fall on (i.e.) so many people go back on cigarettes fairly soon after giving up.”
Mullingar clinics
The first Mullingar Stop smoking clinics is based at the Outpatients Department, Mullingar Hospital, Old Longford Road, N91 NA43. Phone 086 380 1153 (Joan Tierney) or email Joan at longfordwestmeath.quit@hse.ie.
The second is based at the Primary Care Centre, Harbour Road, N91 V6R9. Phone 087 188 1973 (Catherine Carragher) or email Catherine at longfordwestmeath.quit@hse.ie.
Whelehans Participation
Whelehans Pearse Street Pharmacy currently participate in the HSE’s free Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRT) dispensing service via Mullingar’s HSE Stop Smoking Clinics.
Double your chance of giving up smoking
Nicotine replacement products double a person’s chance of giving up smoking compared to giving up by going ‘cold turkey’ (without the use of NRT products.
There is no longer a need for people to buy nicotine replacement products like patches, gums, sprays, as the HSE Stop Smoking will prescribe you those for free (available through the nominated pharmacy) and importantly, you get continued one-on-one advice and support which increases your chance exponentially of staying of cigarettes as long as needed.
Today is the day to give up smoking; there is no need to be referred by a GP so contact Joan or Catherine at the details above.
You won’t only feel it on your health, you will feel it on your pocket as a price of cigarettes in Ireland is more €15 a pack, so if you are a 20 a day smoker, the cost is around €5550 per annum.