Giving up
Question
My mate had been smoking cigarettes for about two years now and he's on 15-20 a day now. How can he stop? Is there anything I can do to help?
Answer
The first thing to consider is whether your mate wants to stop smoking. You can help him by giving him some information about the risks and effects of smoking and where to go to get support, if he chooses to cut down or stop.
There is a lot of support available, and a good first step for your mate would be to contact his local doctor (GP), NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 or the NHS Smoking Helpline on 0800 169 0 169. They will be able to give him tips on giving up and help him find details of local smoking cessation groups. They'll also be able to provide him with information about things like nicotine patches or gum and alternative therapies like hypnotherapy and acupuncture.
There are also local drug and alcohol support services available to young people and they will provide support for cigarette smokers because nicotine is a drug.
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