Boots Ireland initiates
by Guy Hiscott
Boots Ireland and Operation Transformation have joined forces to help people stop smoking with the Boots Stop for Good service.
On Monday 20 January over 2,500 people pledged to quit smoking as part of the service. The aid is delivered in Boots pharmacies throughout Ireland by trained Stop for Good advisors.
The programme takes 12 weeks in total to complete and includes carbon monoxide testing and regular check-ins with an advisor.
An estimated 21.7% of Ireland’s population currently smokes with 59% of smokers wishing they could quit.
Chief executive from the Irish Dental Association (IDA), Fintan Hourihan, commented: ‘Any initiative that promotes the cessation of tobacco or prevents people starting to smoke can only be a good thing.
‘We believe that dentists have a key role to play in making patients aware of the risks associated with smoking tobacco, and helping them control smoking habits or to quit. It’s something that we’re currently discussing with the HSE.’
Richard Bradley, managing director at Boots Ireland, said: ‘Quitting smoking is the single most important thing that you can do for your health and at Boots Ireland we are committed to helping people achieve this goal.’
Boots Ireland’s Stop for Good is a free service developed in 2010 in partnership with Trinity College Dublin.
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