The Newfoundland and
Labrador Lung Association has expanded its Smokers' Helpline, a
toll-free number (1-800-363-5864) designed to help people stop
smoking, thanks to funding from Health
Canada.
The help line will now be open from 9 a.m.
to 9 p.m., Monday to Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays, with
an answering machine picking up calls over the weekend. There are
six trained counselors who will follow up with each client on a
regular basis to help him or her set up a plan to cut back or quit
smoking.
While the Smokers' Helpline is designed for
smokers who want to quit, the Lung Association encourages everyone
to use the line as a resource for all tobacco-related questions and
concerns. Smokers, family members, students, teachers, health
professionals, smoking cessation facilitators, and the business
community can call the Smokers' Helpline for advice and information
from trained smoking cessation counselors.
In addition to the expansion of the
Smokers' Helpline hours of operation and the hiring a full-time
coordinator, several new initiatives have begun. They include: a new
website www.smokershelp.net,
'train the trainer smoking cessation workshops,' and network
luncheons and presentations across the province.
Facilitator workshops and
luncheon/information sessions on the Smokers' Helpline are scheduled
for Clarenville on March 18, Port aux Basques on April 1, Marystown
on April 8, Grand Falls-Windsor on April 22, and Conne River on
April 23. A session is also planned for St. Anthony at a date to be
announced. The sessions are open to all health professionals
interested in learning more about what services and resources are
available to smokers.
For more information or to register for a
workshop or attend the luncheon on the training dates noted above,
contact Niki George at
726-4664. |
