SMOKERS in Reading are being offered free support worth hundreds of pounds to help them quit.
Reading Borough Council has announced it is offering a free and effective way to help those who smoke kick the habit through a combination of seminars and follow-up services via phone or email.
It is offered in addition to the SmokeFreeLife services already put in place by the council, and is used by a number of councils around the UK, with endorsement from NICE and the World Health Organisation.
Allen Carr’s Easyway method is drug-free and instead aims to change the way smokers think and feel about cigarettes,
and has a success rate of over 50%.
Smoking is still the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the UK– Action on Smoking & Health have calculated that the total cost of smoking to society in Reading alone is in the region of £165m a year.
Smoking not only affects your health and that of others around you, but also costs you, the NHS, and social care services money.
Ruth McEwan, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Education & Public Health, said: “Most people who smoke regret ever picking up their first cigarette and starting down the road of nicotine addiction–it’s an incredibly hard habit to break.
“Allen Carr’s Easyway method has a track record of helping people stop smoking.
“I’m excited to see the results from making this clinically-proven intervention available to our residents to help them quit, enjoy better health, wellbeing and save money.
“We know smokers are four times more likely to stop smoking with expert support than going ‘cold turkey’.
“We also know that different approaches work for different people, so with the help of this extra quit route, we hope to help even more residents discover kicking the habit.”
Residents can book a free place on an Allen Carr’s Easyway seminar (usually costing £379) in Reading via: allencarr.com/location/reading-council
General advice on going smokefree is available via: smokefreelifeberkshire.com
