Smokers urged to ‘quit your way’ on national No Smoking Day

The one-in-five Shetlanders who smoke have been encouraged to “quit your way” on national No Smoking Day.

Anti-smoking charity Ash Scotland has urged folk to consider making a tailor-made plan to give up smoking and improve their mental and physical health.

That call has been backed by NHS Shetland, with a Scottish health survey showing that around 20 per cent of the Shetland population over 16 were regular smokers in 2018.

NHS Shetland health improvement practitioner Astryd Jamieson said that “more and more people” in the isles were trying to quit smoking.

“Most people find quitting smoking a really hard thing to do, but it is possible with the right kind of support, designed to suit you,” she said.

“We are due to trial our new group programme for people who have tried to quit several times in the past but are struggling. We are running this programme as a face-to-face service beginning in April.

“If you would like support to quit smoking, or you just want to speak to someone to find out more about any of the support available, you can ask to speak to the Health Improvement Practitioner at your local health centre, or you can call us directly on 01595 807494 or email info@healthyshetland.com.”