Forfar man begins new health chapter due to cost of living

Barry Muir was spending between £60 and £70 a week on tobacco before he made the decision to stop smoking after seeking support from Davidsons Chemist on East High Street.

He said: “I passed the pharmacy and something made me go in and ask about the stop smoking programme. The staff instantly made me feel welcome and made it easy straight away.”

Pharmacy Assistant Ann Leith provided Barry with a range of information about the support available to quit smoking, such as free Nicotine Replacement Therapy products and the Tayside Incentive Scheme.

Motivated to stay on track, Barry has not had a single cigarette since signing up to the 12-week Quit Your Way programme which provides weekly support to remain smoke-free.

By staying smoke-free and taking part in the Tayside Incentive Scheme, Barry has also received £150 worth of supermarket vouchers, in addition to the money he has saved by not smoking. On average, smokers who smoke 20 cigarettes a day can save up to £840 in 12 weeks and over £3000 in a year by giving up smoking.

Barry added: “I was spending so much money a week on tobacco and I knew it was going to get worse with the rising cost of living.

"Stopping smoking means I can now save money and I hope to buy a car with the money I’ll save.

"I want to thank everyone at the pharmacy and the NHS Tayside Quit Your Way service for all the support I received.”

Andrew Radley, NHS Tayside Public Health Consultant, congratulated Barry on his achievement. His story proves that you can change your life and quit smoking. Just because you have smoked for a long time, it doesn’t mean you always have to.

“Quitting smoking can lead to a richer life in more ways than one. It will save you money but it can also lead to improved physical health. Giving up smoking is the single most important lifestyle decision that anyone can make to improve their health immediately.”

Details about the service are available from pharmacies, by calling 01382 424127 or by emailing [email protected].

Dr Radley added: “People are four times more likely to stop smoking for good if they use the stop smoking support available. You can access free medication and support that’s right for you at your local community pharmacy, which improves your success of quitting long-term.

“NHS Tayside Quit Your Way services are available for anyone who wants to stop smoking in Tayside.”PNHS Tayside also has an incentive scheme to quit smoking that offers £50 a month in weekly vouchers to spend at a local supermarket. Your local pharmacy can give you more information and let you know if you are eligible for the incentive scheme.

You can find and like the Tayside Quit Your Way service page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nhstaysidequityourway, where you can find lots of information about the support available.