SERVICES
TAKE A BREATH
In April 2023 , Via launched Redbridge Quits Smoking ( RQS ), the third smoking cessation contract we ’ ve delivered . The service supports people aged 12 and above who live , work , study or who experience homelessness in the local area .
As well as this being a universal service for residents , it also has a focus on specific priority groups to address a historic inequality in access . These include those who work in routine and manual professions , those who are pregnant or breastfeeding ( and their partners ), and those with a mental health diagnosis . Key local populations also include the Gypsy , Roma and Traveller community , social housing , hostels and refugee hotels , cultural groups who use other
With many drug and alcohol clients – and staff – active smokers , having an integrated approach to smoking cessation support can create lasting impact and value , says Helen O ’ Connor
forms of tobacco that can also be addictive and harmful – such as shisha or chewed tobacco – and young people who are vaping . Self-referral is as easy as texting the word BREATHE , and with many local GPs sending regular SMS with our contact details to their patients who are recorded as smokers , most referrals are self-referrals .
We ’ re committed to reducing barriers to accessing support – taking treatment out into the community and meeting people where they are . This could be in hostels , mosques , other local services , or inpatient and outpatient mental health settings . Primarily we offer in-person one-to-one sessions but are also piloting ‘ circles ’ of quitters who are at a similar place in their treatment , and phone and online video support too .
VULNERABLE GROUPS Smoking prevalence is greater among the vulnerable groups we work with and among those with both alcohol and drug use disorders . This includes those people who have respiratory disease because of a history of smoking illicit drugs . Data also indicates that smokers could be 2.7 times at greater risk of becoming alcohol dependent than non-smokers , and that people with a mental health difficulty die earlier than people in the general population – smoking being the largest factor contributing to this difference .
Keeping smoking on the agenda with the people who use our services is therefore vital to improving their physical wellbeing , their quality of life and their overall life expectancy as they also work on their recovery from problematic alcohol or drug use . We ask about tobacco use at assessment and every 12 weeks , which presents us with a perfect ‘ nudge ’ to talk about smoking cessation .
The best way of doing this is to provide the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training ’ s ( NCSCT ) very brief advice ( VBA ) ‘ 30 seconds to save a life ’ intervention . This importantly includes an action to refer to the local smoking cessation service if someone expresses an interest in quitting .
The benefit of being co-located is that referrals from our adult and young people ’ s drug and alcohol services and rough sleeper teams can be made instantly , and we can offer them support at a time and location convenient to their other Via appointments .
BITESIZE SESSIONS It can also be helpful to run a short bitesize session for colleagues using the quiz developed by Turning Point and SLAM in their ‘ Improving smoking cessation in drug and alcohol ’ treatment pilot . This provides some more facts and figures about what people think about quitting while in treatment – for
Marc Bruxelle | Dreamstime . com
18 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • NOVEMBER 2023 WWW . DRINKANDDRUGSNEWS . COM