THURROCK Council is marking today's National No Smoking Day (Wednesday, 11 March) by encouraging residents who smoke to take the first step towards a healthier, smoke-free future by registering with the council's Stop Smoking Service.

Thousands of Thurrock residents have already successfully quit with support from the council's Health Trainer Stop Smoking Service, which provides free, expert support to help people stop smoking for good.

The service offers personalised advice, encouragement and practical support tailored to each individual. Residents who successfully quit smoking for 12 weeks with Thurrock Council's Health Trainers will also receive a free two-month Impulse Leisure membership worth £150, giving access to local gyms, swimming and fitness classes to support a healthier lifestyle.

Residents who sign up will also receive up to 12 weeks of free stop smoking support delivered to their door, which may include nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), vapes, or prescription-only medications such as varenicline and cytisinicline, subject to clinical suitability and availability.

In addition, Thurrock residents can access six months of free premium access to the Smoke Free quit smoking app, available on both Apple and Android devices. The app offers personalised quit plans, progress tracking, tools to manage cravings and motivational rewards to help people stay on track.

Residents can access the app by visiting: https://link.smokefreeapp.com/thurrockres and entering the code sfthurr25, or by downloading the Smoke Free app and registering using their postcode. Free licences are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Lorraine Surrey, Senior Public Health Specialist Practitioner at Thurrock Council, said: "National No Smoking Day is a great opportunity for anyone who smokes to think about taking that first step towards quitting. We know stopping smoking can be challenging, but with the right support people are far more likely to succeed."

"Our Health Trainer Stop Smoking Service has already helped thousands of Thurrock residents quit, and we are here to help many more. We offer free personalised support, access to stop smoking aids and additional incentives such as leisure membership and digital tools to help people stay smoke-free."

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"If you're thinking about quitting, now is the perfect time to get in touch and take that first step towards a healthier future."