Lose the smoker in you: A community approach to quitting in New Parks, Leicester?

Authors and presenters:
Louise Ross
Tobacco Control Delivery Manager, NHS Leicester City, UK

Kay Harris
Head of Local Marketing, Pfizer Ltd, Tadworth, UK

Abstract
Lose the Smoker in You was an intensive three-month awareness campaign targeted at routine and manual smokers in the New Parks area of Leicester (September – December 2009). A collaboration led by Pfizer and NHS Leicester City STOP! smoking service, the project aimed to raise awareness of available services in an area with a smoking prevalence of 40.5%. The project comprised a bus roadshow, brief intervention training for local ‘word of mouth’ health volunteers and extensive media outreach, among other activities. An emphasis was placed on delivering health messages via credible local voices – including key community leaders and influencers. Campaign evaluation – through awareness benchmarking surveys and event questionnaires – indicated a rise in the desire to quit among the New Parks population as well as increased awareness of the benefits of quitting and of the local services. The number of people who set a quit date with STOP! across Leicester as a whole increased by 13% during the campaign in comparison with the same period in 2008 (against a backdrop of static enrolment in many other parts of the UK). We will share key learnings from the project, including insights relevant to smaller-scale initiatives targeting ‘hard to reach’ smokers.

Source of funding: Pfizer and NHS Leicester City STOP! smoking service

Declaration of interest: I have received honoraria for advisory board work with Pfizer, all of which have been reinvested in the work of the STOP! smoking service team. Pfizer has funded a number of sandwich lunches as part of training sessions for healthcare professionals working with STOP!

About the presenters
Louise Ross is the Tobacco Control Delivery Manager for NHS Leicester City. Her role has grown out of leading the stop smoking service, having seen the potential to make her role scalable by including tobacco control within her remit. She leads an enthusiastic and committed team, who all delight in grasping opportunities, wherever presented, to reduce smoking rates in the most deprived areas of Leicester.

Louise is eternally grateful to her employer for allowing her to work compressed hours, enabling her to look after her beloved grandchildren one day a week.

Kay Harris is Head of Local Marketing at Pfizer UK. She has 10 years’ experience working across a range of primary care pharmaceutical brands. Kay has also led disease awareness campaigns in smoking cessation and cholesterol management.