Cigarette smoking is the world’s leading cause of preventable poor health and premature death. This is why the Scottish Government aim is to create a tobacco free generation by 2034. (Scottish Government, 2023)
The latest figures show that, in Scotland, tobacco use is associated with over 8,000 deaths (one in five deaths) and around 100,000 hospital admissions each year. (Ash Scotland, 2023)
NHS Ayrshire and Arran’s Stop Smoking Service is called Quit Your Way. It’s made up of three parts:
- Smoking cessation – Helping people who smoke to stop smoking.
- Smoking prevention – Preventing people, mainly young people, starting to smoke.
- Smoking protection – Protecting everyone from the harms of second hand smoke.
Quit Your Way is here to support people to stop smoking and help prevent young people from starting smoking.
Smoking cessation
Quit Your Way offer free support and free stop smoking products.
Our specialist service has a choice of support options available to help you stop smoking, including:
- face to face support
- drop-in sessions
- telephone support
Your local pharmacy can also provide support to stop smoking. You can refer yourself to the Quit Your Way service here.
Specialist support (provided by Quit Your Way)
You will receive free support from a stop smoking advisor. Your first appointment is usually half an hour. The advisor will ask you to fill out forms to sign up to the service. Don’t worry – if you require help with this, the advisor will assist you.
The advisor will provide support and discuss with you which stop smoking products would best help your quit attempt. You will receive your products there and then or receive the products by post if you are getting Telephone Support.
You have the option to set a quit date there and then, or cut down to quit (over a maximum of four weeks).
Follow on sessions are usually 15 minutes, weekly or fortnightly. You will receive support until you feel confident enough to stay stopped on your own.
See our list of Stop Smoking Clinics for North, South and East Ayrshire.
Pharmacy support (provided by your local pharmacy)
You can pop into your local pharmacy who will provide free weekly support and free stop smoking products to help you quit smoking.
The pharmacy will provide you with 12 weeks’ support and stop smoking products.
This service is for people who are highly motivated and confident about stopping smoking. If you are struggling and feel you need a little more help, you can attend a drop in session or one to one appointment for extra support, even when you are attending the pharmacy scheme.
The first week you will sign up to the service and a member of the pharmacy team will ask you to blow into a carbon monoxide monitor.
With the pharmacy service, you are expected to set a quit date and remain smoke free.
All pharmacies in Ayrshire and Arran provide support although opening times of pharmacies may vary.
Stop Smoking Clinics
Quit Your Way run Stop Smoking Clinics in various locations across Ayrshire. The clinics run in a variety of ways such as:
- group sessions
- one to one with appointment
- drop in clinics
View details of your local clinics for North, South and East Ayrshire.
Please note these clinics are subject to change. Quit Your Way also offer telephone support and Near Me/Attend Anywhere video consultations if the times of the clinics do not suit you.
Please call our free phone helpline on 0800 783 9132 for any enquiries, including what to do if you:
- are house bound
- find it difficult to get out of the house
- work away
Calculate my savings
Quitting smoking really does lead to a richer life in more ways than one. Use the NHS Inform Quit Calculator tool and see how much you’ve spent on cigarettes. Then come up with some thoughts on how to better spend that money.
Protection from the harms of second hand smoke
Second hand smoke is smoke that is breathed in from other people’s tobacco smoke.
It is caused by smoke that:
- is blown out when someone is smoking
- comes from the tip of a cigarette that has been left to burn
For more information on second-hand smoke visit Take it right outside | NHS inform.
In Scotland it is illegal to smoke:
- within 15 metres of a hospital building: The Prohibition of Smoking Outside Hospital Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2022 (legislation.gov.uk)
- in a vehicle with anyone under the age of 18: Smoking in cars with children – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
Preventing people from starting to smoke
The following resources may be helpful with smoking prevention:
- Scotland’s Charter for a Tobacco-free Generation (ASH Scotland) is an initiative to help reduce the harm caused by smoking and deliver a tobacco-free generation by 2034
- ASH Scotland have developed an educational pack for teachers providing lesson plans for tobacco and vaping
- Quit Your Way Ayrshire has developed lesson plans for Primary 5 and 6 on tobacco and vaping which are available to teachers via GLOW
- Quit Your Way staff can deliver training to staff working with children around tobacco and vaping
NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s Health Information and Resources Service (HIRS) provides access to a wide range of health promotion materials to professionals and the public.
Among other materials, this includes:
- books
- DVDs
- reports
- teaching packs
- leaflets
- posters
The Scottish Government currently has a campaign on youth vaping.
Our Trading Standards partners work across Ayrshire carrying out test purchasing for tobacco and electronic cigarettes/vapes and seize illicit tobacco and illegal vapes.
If you would like more information on what we offer within Ayrshire and Arran or how you can work with us, please call us on our free phone helpline 0800 783 9132 or visit our Quit Your Way Facebook page.
Quit Your Way offers a variety of prevention activities and training aimed at children and young people from nursery through to further education. The purpose is to create an environment where young people choose not to smoke.
The majority smoking protection is national legislation, policies and campaigns. Some examples are:-
- The smoking ban which was introduced in 2006 to protect people from the harms of second hand smoke
- Smoke free cars
- Smoke free grounds such as hospitals and playzones
- #NotaFavour campaign
- #BEEFREE campaign
- Trading Standards carrying out test purchasing of cigarettes
Click here to view Ayrshire and Arran’s Tobacco Action Plan 2021-2024
If you would like more information and what we offer within Ayrshire and Arran please call us on our free phone helpline 0800 783 9132.
Further Information
Further information related to smoking can be found on national websites: