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Stop smoking
services: something a little different
The ASH Scotland Buddy Project
John Sim
Powerpoint
Presentation
Abstract
Research from the USA and UK highlights the importance
of social support to encourage participation in formal
smoking cessation programmes. Similar approaches have
been successful in supporting people with HIV/AIDS, and
those with an alcohol problem. The aims of the current
project, funded by the Community Fund, were to promote
self help, peer support, volunteering and community involvement.
Individuals were encouraged to become volunteer buddies
to support smokers who want to quit.
Three NHS areas were involved:
Fife: Working alongside the Primary Care smoking cessation
service offering an optional and additional service.
Tayside: Targeting people who found it difficult to access
smoking cessation services, i.e. women with child-care
difficulties, the housebound, those in rural locations,
those who work irregular hours, and people who do not
like groups.
Western Isles: the Project offered support to smokers
living in a rural area, who may have been geographically
isolated, and found it difficult to access smoking cessation
services.
Three evaluation exercises were carried out:
- Quantitative analysis of the buddies and stoppers
who
accessed the service.
- Qualitative study of the six relationships that developed
through buddying.
- Self reported follow-up study on current smoking habits
at 3 and 12 month intervals.
This 3-year project began in January 2001. This pre-dated
the introduction of the minimum dataset guidelines, and
the need for CO verified abstinence was not recognised.
The project has been dynamic in evolving to meet the needs
of the buddies and the stoppers.
John Sim
ASH Scotland, Edinburgh
john.sim@ashscotland.org.uk
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