Will ‘Big Cig’ surrender on 12 March?

To publicise No Smoking Day 2008 on 12 March, public health staff at Wiltshire Primary Care Trust teamed up with Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service to meet the challenge of defeating ‘Big Cig’. The photo shows Wiltshire’s ‘Big Cig’ surrendering! (Well he shouldn’t have made himself such a target). Success against ‘Big Cig’ will mean an improvement in health and safety in Wiltshire with more smokers getting off cigarettes and fewer house fires (and potential house fires) caused through smoking.

On No Smoking Day, 12 March, Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service and public health staff from Wiltshire PCT will be manning displays and offering support at both The Shires Shopping Centre and Tesco in Trowbridge and also at Tesco, Salisbury (where we hope to have a computer program that will show smokers how they will look as they age with and without smoking – smoking ages skin faster!) Our NHS stop smoking advisers will also be on hand at Greenways Maternity Unit to support anyone who is pregnant and wants to get off cigarettes.

This year smokers can get a free Great No Smoking Day Challenge quit pack and print off a sponsorship form to raise money for a chosen charity (see www.nosmokingday.org.uk). Research shows as many as three in every four smokers want to quit, and even more wish they'd never started to begin with.

If you want free NHS support to help you meet the No Smoking Day Challenge call 01380 733891 or 01980 626159 or come along to any of the venues mentioned above on 12 March.

Maggie Rae, Director of Public Health (Wiltshire PCT / Wiltshire County Council) commented: “We know that smoking is heavier in particular groups of people, for instance those in routine and manual work; single parents; the unemployed and teenage girls. Smokers end up with far worse health problems than non-smokers; it’s our duty in the NHS to help and especially help those groups where smoking is heaviest. Our stop smoking team have a great record of success; I’d encourage anyone who has any desire to stop smoking to get in touch. “

Melanie Jezzard, community safety adviser at Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service, said: “One third of all accidental fatal fires in the home are caused by cigarettes, and households containing a smoker are almost 40% more likely to suffer a fire than non-smoking households. That’s why we are working with the PCT on this campaign – stopping smoking can make your home a much safer place.”