Need to finally kick the habit?
All this month, we've been following the journey of people across Ireland who are quitting smoking.
They say that if you can quit smoking for 28 days, you’re five times more likely to quit for good.
That's why this March, people across the country are taking part in a 28 day quit challenge.
With regular check ins, and by sharing their motivations, struggles and achievements we hope to inspire as many people as possible to begin their own quit journeys by signing up for a Quit Plan.
Conor Hiney from Co Laois is one of those taking part in the challenge. He told Louise Clarke on the Hub all about his motivations for quitting, getting support from HSE Quit and how the challenge is going for him.
You can listen to that chat here:
Conor's story so far
Our Quit leader Conor is now on day 45 of his journey to give up smoking. Conor said that before quitting that his day would "start with a cigarette, end with a cigarette and there would be lots of cigarettes in between".
The biggest difference Conor has found that his confidence has grown since he stopped smoking.
One of the toughest challenges that Conor feels has faced was resisting the urge to smoke when he was driving.
He told The Hub that now he feels confident to get in the car without the need to look for a cigarette.
The 23-year-old says that you don't know what you are missing out on till you give them up.
He has noticed that he can now taste foods differently and that smells are more enhanced.
Conor caught up with Louise Clarke and told Louise the best advice he could give to someone thinking of quitting is to start now and create a Quit Plan.
What's a Quit Plan?
You’re more likely to be successful if you get support from the Quit service.
The HSE Quit programme offers free support, help and advice no matter what stage you’re at.
You'll get a free over the phone consultation and a trained advisor will support you through the entire process.
The advisor will help you by:
- Making sure you’re ready to quit
- Asking you about your smoking history and habit
- Assessing your nicotine addiction
- Identifying your reasons for quitting and any difficulties or risks of a relapse
- Helping you make a plan to quit smoking
- Recommending any suitable medical treatment, including referring you to your doctor for follow-up
This process will begin one to four weeks before your quit date and can continue for up to a year.
Sign up to Quit
You can start your own 28 day no smoking challenge and Quit journey by signing up at quit.ie, calling freephone 1800 201 203 or free text QUIT to 50100.
