Quit smoking

You can be smoke free

Smoking is the most important cause of preventable ill health and premature mortality in the UK. It is a major risk factor for many diseases, such as lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart disease.

Becoming smoke free is one of the best things you can do to improve your long-term health.

What's available on the Isle of Man

Quit4You is the Isle of Man's free stop smoking service. We offer expert advice from trained Specialist Stop Smoking Advisors. Thinking of becoming smoke free? Why not give us a try.

How can we help you?

We can provide:

• Regular consultations
• Your own personal quit plan with Specialist Stop Smoking Advisors
• Nicotine Replacement Vouchers on prescription
• Quit4Two Pregnancy Service

Need a temporary solution?

You may need to reduce or stop smoking unexpectedly due to a hospital stay, for example.

You may be impacted by the DHSC/Manx Care smoke free policy which came into effect on 1 April 2022.

And you just might not feel ready to quit.

Through the Quit4aBit Programme, we can help with full support to get you through this time.

If you are a smoker and are pregnant, or planning to be pregnant in the near future, then stopping smoking is one of the best things you can do to look after your health and that of your unborn baby.

Specialist Stop Smoking Advisors are available to provide you with resources and information to quit smoking as soon as possible, giving your baby the best start in life.

For all of the above services, you can get in touch through any of the below methods:

Complete our referral form

Call +44 1624 642404

Email quit4you@gov.im

Leave your details and a member of our team will get back to you to arrange a time for an initial chat.

To find out more about how we process your personal information, view our 'Confidentiality and Consent' section on this page.

Why is it so hard?

If you work out what smoking means to you and are aware of your triggers, you can put in place strategies to tackle them when you quit. Read more about the reasons we smoke.

What can make it easier?

Many people try to quit smoking with willpower alone, but it's much easier to go smoke free with the right help. There are lots of support options available:

NHS Quit Smoking app – a free app that offers a 28 day programme with practical support, encouragement, and tailored clinical advice.

Download from the App Store

Download from Google Play

There are some great resources for quitting smoking, including self-help tips and other ideas on NHS Better Health – Quit Smoking.

Help with quitting

Preparing to quit smoking? It can be hard to get started. Read NHS 10 self-help tips to stop smoking for some useful ideas to help make it easier.

There are several reasons to quit smoking. What’s yours? Read our 6 reasons to become smoke free in 2022 for some motivation to make 2022 your year to quit.

Looking after yourself

Getting more active can help you quit and improve your mood by releasing good chemicals in your brain. Find out more on our Get Active page.

Watch what you eat but don’t be too hard on yourself. Foods that are as close to their natural state as possible help your body to flush out toxins. Read more about a healthy diet.

Quitting smoking can be a stressful experience. You can reduce stress by demanding less of yourself. Read our tips on coping with stress. 

Vaping

Vaping and e-cigarettes can be a particularly helpful way to stop smoking tobacco especially when combined with a specialist face to face support. Although experts say they are not entirely risk free, they are at least 95% less harmful than tobacco. You can read more about vaping and its associated risks in PHE’s report on e-cigarettes and The UK Health Security Agency’s blog on vaping myths.

Also see: Using e-cigarettes to stop smoking - NHS

The benefits of becoming smoke free

You already know that quitting smoking is one of the biggest things you can do to improve your health and your lifestyle, but you may not know just how many benefits there are to becoming smoke free. And you don’t have to wait long for the benefits to start once you quit.

Time	Effect
20 minutes	Blood pressure and pulse return to normal
8 hours	Nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in the blood are halved, oxygen levels return to normal
24 hours	Carbon monoxide is eliminated from the body and the lungs start to clear out mucus and tar
48 hours	There is no nicotine left in the body. Taste and smell are greatly improved.
72 hours	Breathing becomes easier, bronchial tubes begin to relax, energy levels increase.
2 – 12 weeks	Circulation improves and exercise can be easier
3 – 9 months	Coughs, wheezing and breathing problems improve
5 years	Risk of heart attack falls to about half compared to a person still smoking
10 years	Risk of lung cancer falls to half that of a smoker. Risk of heart attack falls to the same as someone who has never smoked.

More from our experts

COVID-19 and Smoking – why smokers are at greater risk of serious infection
Quit smoking aids – NRT and other methods available to you through Quit4You
Managing weight gain – a guide for when you quit smoking
Managing triggers – ideas to help with common cigarette triggers 
Smoking diary – Download this template to start recording each time you smoke so you can determine the main triggers/habits associated with your smoking.

Further information

You’re probably aware that smoking has negative effects on your health. Read more about the health risks of smoking – NHS.UK for you and those around you.

Passive smoking is also a big risk to friends and family members, especially children. Secondhand smoke can increase a non-smoker's risk of getting lung cancer by 24% and the risk of getting heart disease by 25%. Read more about passive smoking-NHS.UK and its risks.

For more information on secondhand smoke and smoke-free policies, visit Action on Smoking and Health

It’s a fact that smoke free spaces help those who want to quit smoking have a better chance of success. The Isle of Man’s ambition is to become smoke free by 2030. This starts with the completion of the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) smoke-free policy, which makes all DHSC and Manx Care sites completely smoke free on 1 April 2022. Find out more about Smoke Free Isle of Man.

Confidentiality and Consent

Clients registering with the Quit4you service register their contact information for the purpose of receiving advice on smoking cessation. As part of your initial assessment and Quit Plan you may be offered Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), in order to receive this prescribed medication we will require your consent to share this prescribed medication with your registered GP Practice, to add to your patient record.

Any information provided by and about you is processed by the Public Health Directorate, Cabinet Office, Quit4You Smoking Cessation Service. Statistical information reported is anonymised. Information will only be shared without consent if there is an express lawful basis for doing so.

The Quit4You service will only process your personal information on a consent basis. You may withdraw your consent at any time by emailing quit4you@gov.im.

For more details on how the Cabinet office uses and protects your personal information view the Cabinet Office Privacy Notice.

For details on how the Public Health Directorate protects your personal marketing information visit their Marketing Statement.