‘We Can Quit’ 12-week smoking cessation course offered free to women in the South County area
The Irish Cancer Society has launched the latest round of We Can Quit – its free smoking cessation programme – in Tallaght, Ballyfermot and Cherry Orchard.
The courses support local women joining forces to quit smoking together
Participants Mandy Kinsella, Pamela Williams, Susan Desmond, Edel Nolan, Eva O’Driscoll, Becky Fogarty, Tracey McKeown, Patricia Grace in the most recent course of We Can Quit in Clondalkin celebrating at their graduation ceremony earlier in the year.
Women from the relevant areas are invited to sign up for the courses now, which will commence in mid-September.
Caitríona Reynolds, Community Cancer Prevention Officer at the Irish Cancer Society said, “We Can Quit has gone from strength to strength since it began in 2013.
Over the last six years, over 465 women from Dublin have completed the 12-week course. More importantly, many of them have managed to successfully quit smoking for good as a result of the initiative, so we know that the programme works.
“Giving up smoking is extremely difficult and a huge challenge for people, but We Can Quit offers women the support and encouragement to get through it. Through the programme, the women can access free NRT and a friendly network of like-minded women, as well as knowing that they have the full support of their community and the Irish Cancer Society behind them.
“We look forward to welcoming more women to our latest We Can Quit courses in Dublin North and West, and seeing them graduate at the end of it.”
We Can Quit participants attend weekly group sessions and receive one-to-one support during the 12-week programme.
They will also be offered free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). Research has shown that smokers who use a combination of group support and two NRT products for a 12-week period are four times more likely to quit and stay smoke-free for good.
Recent analysis shows that over half of all the We Can Quit participants had quit smoking at the end of the course.
We Can Quit is run in partnership with the HSE, local community organisations and local pharmacies.
The programme is open to all female smokers living in Blakestown, Tallaght, Mulhuddart, Ballyfermot and Cherry Orchard who are over the age of 18 years and are interested in quitting smoking.
The course will be held in Killinarden Community Centre on Wednesday, September 11 at 7pm for registration; in Ballyfermot Family Resource Centre on Tuesday, September 17 at 7pm, and in Cherry Orchard – The Bungalow on Tuesday, September 17 at 10am.
To find out more about We Can Quit or to register your interest for the next course, visit the Irish Cancer Society’s website www.cancer.ie/we-can-quit or contact Caitríona Reynolds on creynolds@irishcancer.ie or 01 231 6669.
