Our Stop Smoking Advisors provide one-to-one support for anyone who wants to quit smoking. This support is free and takes place over 12 weeks. Appointments are usually weekly for the first 4 weeks when the cravings are strongest, and then fortnightly after that. Advisors will also check in with you at 6 and 12 months too, to see how you’ve got on even after you’ve completed the programme. And if you relapse, don’t worry – our Advisors will help you restart when the time is right for you.
So you’ve decided you want to quit smoking and made your first appointment with a Stop Smoking Advisor, what happens next?
Your initial assessment
At your first appointment you’ll discuss your lifestyle and smoking habits with your Advisor, including details about any past quit attempts. Together you’ll establish what your triggers are and your motivation for quitting. For many people, saving money is a big motivator, especially as the cost of living continues to rise. The NHS have created a quick and handy online tool called Calculate My Savings so that you can see just how much you spend on cigarettes (and therefore how much you could save).
Your Advisor will encourage you to set a quit date. And, if you are attending a face-to-face clinic, you will be given a carbon monoxide breath test which measures the level of carbon monoxide in your system. As your appointments progress repeated breath tests can demonstrate how your health is improving.
Carbon monoxide (CO) breath test
A carbon monoxide test is a quick, non-invasive assessment that measures the levels of poisonous carbon monoxide gas in your breath. It is widely used in stop smoking clinics and gives immediate visual proof of smoking habits and tracks progress during a quit attempt.
How the test works
You take a deep breath, hold it for 10 to 15 seconds, and then slowly exhale into a handheld CO monitor.
The device measures the exhaled gas and displays the results. The higher the reading, the higher the risk to your health. Your aim will be to achieve a green reading once you have quit smoking.
| Description | Reading |
| Heavy smoker | 20+ ppm |
| Moderate smoker | 11-20 ppm |
| Light smoker | 7-10 ppm |
| Non-smoker | 0-6 ppm |
ppm = parts per million
Exploring stop smoking aids
Together you and your Stop Smoking Advisor can also discuss the stop-smoking aids you can buy, such as nicotine replacement therapies like patches, gum or sprays, or the use of an e-cigarette or vape, if you already use one. Vapes and e-cigarettes are 95% safer than smoking if used as a tool for quitting smoking; this is because they do not burn tobacco and so do not produce tar or carbon monoxide which are two of the most toxic elements in tobacco smoke.
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)
Nicotine, while a highly addictive drug, does not contain the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes, and combining nicotine replacement therapy with expert behavioural support makes you significantly more likely to quit smoking than going it alone or cold turkey.
There are a range of NRT products that you can buy, some slow-acting (patches) and some fast-acting (gum or sprays). Your Advisor can help you decide on which treatment is right for you and how to use it most effectively.
Following appointments
Your following appointments with your Advisor will give you the opportunity to discuss pitfalls, cravings, behaviour change, and are there to support you and advise you throughout your first 12 weeks of being smoke free.
The Stop Smoking Service
Telford & Wrekin’s Stop Smoking Advisors are here to support you to stop smoking, offering a free 12-week programme.
Book an appointment to speak to an advisor today by emailing healthylifestyles@telford.gov.uk or calling 01952 382582.