Barry Pharmacist’s 18 Years of Helping Smokers Quit

Across Wales, hundreds of smokers quit every year thanks to the incredible work of pharmacists, hospital staff, midwives, and smoking cessation advisors involved in the Help Me Quit service by NHS Wales. Among them is Gwawr Davies Jones, a Barry-based pharmacist who has dedicated over a decade to helping people stop smoking and transform their lives.

The Key to Success: Mindset and Timing

For Gwawr, the secret to quitting smoking successfully lies in timing and the right mindset. Having run smoking cessation services across south Wales, she has honed her approach to identify the best time for people to start their quit journey.


“It’s all about people being in the right frame of mind,” Gwawr says. “If someone is going through a stressful time, has a holiday coming up, or it’s mid-December, it’s usually better to wait. I’ve learned these factors can reduce the chances of quitting successfully.”


Through her service at High Street Pharmacy in Barry, Gwawr supports smokers through a 12-week programme with seven one-to-one sessions. Participants receive free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), including patches and gum, while using a CO Monitor to track their carbon monoxide levels-a tool Gwawr says is incredibly motivating.


“The CO Monitor is like being weighed at Slimming World. People see their carbon monoxide levels dropping and feel proud of their progress,” Gwawr explains. “It’s a tangible way to show the benefits of quitting even after just 48 hours.”


A Personalised Approach


Gwawr’s approach is tailored to each individual, whether they’re a teenager or in their 80s. She sees smokers on an individual basis rather than in group settings, which allows her to adapt to their unique circumstances and motivations.


“With younger people, it’s about being motivational-they don’t care about their health as much, so lecturing doesn’t work. For older smokers, they’re usually serious about quitting, so they just need encouragement and a pat on the back.”


For parents, Gwawr finds involving their children makes a big difference. “I let the kids blow into the CO Monitor, and they love it. Making the sessions fun helps the parents feel supported and encourages them to come back.”


Overcoming Setbacks


While Gwawr boasts a 40% success rate, not everyone manages to quit on their first attempt. For those who struggle, she takes a positive and supportive approach.


“If someone’s finding it tough, I say, ‘Let’s draw a line under this. Don’t beat yourself up.’ I find they’re far more likely to try again if they leave feeling encouraged rather than judged.”


The Power of Motivation


For many smokers, the fear of smoking-related illnesses is the ultimate driver to quit. Gwawr has seen first-hand how quitting transforms lives:


“I recently had someone come in and say, ‘Do you know it’s been a year since my last cigarette?’ Moments like that make it all worth it. I get to know people during those 12 weeks, and by the end, we’ve built a real connection. Seeing their progress is so rewarding.”


Support to Quit Smoking


If you’re ready to quit smoking, Help Me Quit, run by NHS Wales, can help you find the best stop smoking service for your needs. Call 0800 085 2219 or visit www.helpmequit.wales for more information.


You can also find quitting tips and advice on the ASH Wales website.


Gwawr’s story highlights the incredible impact that personalised support, encouragement, and the right tools can have on a smoker’s journey to becoming smoke-free. If you’re thinking of quitting, remember-it’s never too late to take that first step.

Seize the opportunity to quit this Stoptober, smokers urged, as figures show increase in those kicking the habit in Wales

The number of smokers seeking help to quit from the NHS Wales smoking cessation service has risen by 3,000 in four years.

Ash Wales Cymru has welcomed the figures from the Help Me Quit service and urged smokers to join those across the country who will be giving up this Stoptober. So far over one million people across the UK have been driven to quit smoking during Stoptober, which was launched following research that shows that if you can stop smoking for 28 days you are five times more likely to stop for good.

According to the tobacco control campaign group there has been a 6-percentage point increase in the proportion of those successfully giving up smoking in Wales, with the number of smokers falling by 78,067 since 2014.

Welcoming the latest Help Me Quit figures, ASH Wales Cymru Chief Executive Officer Suzanne Cass added that, with 19% of the adult population in Wales still smoking, there is still work to be done:

“It’s great news that the message about the dangers of smoking is getting through and so many people are seeking help to quit.

However, smoking remains a major public health challenge in Wales, with nearly a fifth of the population still smoking and thousands dying every year from smoking related conditions.

This costs the Welsh economy £790.66 million every year and the Welsh NHS £302 million annually. The greatest cost however, is to families whose lives are blighted by the impact of this addiction on their health, wellbeing and finances.”

The Welsh Government’s Tobacco Control Action Plan target is for 16% of adults to be smoking by 2020. Currently 21% of men and 17% of women smoke in Wales.

Rates are far higher in more deprived areas, with 13% of adults in the least deprived areas smoking compared to 28% in the most deprived areas. Although prevalence amongst 15 to 16-year olds is at an all-time low, with 8% of boys and 9% of girls smoking regularly, a whole classroom’s worth of children still takes up smoking in Wales every day.

This October, during the Stoptober campaign, ASH Wales Cymru will be publishing blogs and social media posts giving tips on how to quit smoking, beat cravings, stay off cigarettes and enjoy the benefits of a smoke free life. Its research has shown that two thirds of all smokers in Wales would like to quit and around 40% of smokers try to give up every year.

Suzanne Cass said:

“Every day is a good day to give up smoking. But if you’re looking for motivation to quit, then why not join the mass movement of smokers this month who have decided to change their lives for the better.”

According to the NHS, only three in every 100 smokers manages to stop smoking permanently using will-power alone. Instead the most effective way to stop is a combination of stop smoking medicines, including nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and behavioural changes.

Information on how to quit smoking is available on the ASH Wales Cymru website or the Choose Smokefree Facebook page. Help Me Quit is the national smoking cessation service run by NHS Wales and helps smokers to find the service that suits them best. Contact the service on 0800 085 2219. To find out more visit who-can-help-me.

Barry pharmacist’s 18 years of helping smokers to kick the habit

Across Wales hundreds of smokers give up cigarettes every year thanks to the dedicated team of pharmacists, hospital workers, midwives and smoking cessation advisors working for the NHS Wales smoking cessation service, Help Me Quit. ASH Wales met a Barry pharmacist on the front line of the battle against tobacco to find out more about the stop smoking service she runs.

Having spent a decade helping smokers to quit, pharmacist Gwawr Davies Jones says having the right frame of mind is the key to successfully kicking the habit. She co-owns High Street Pharmacy in Barry and, since she qualified 18-years ago, has run stop smoking services across south Wales from the valleys to the Vale. Smokers are either referred to her by their GP or sign up to the programme themselves.
Today she boasts a 40 per cent success rate and says getting the timing right is crucial when it comes to helping smokers to complete the 12-week programme:

“It’s all about people being in the right frame of mind. I try to avoid starting people on the programme if they are going through a particularly stressful time in their life or if they have a holiday or big celebration coming up. I’ve learnt for instance to avoid signing people up in mid-December because their chances of quitting over the Christmas period are very slim.”

Smokers attend seven session over 12 weeks. They are given a supply of free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products such as nicotine patches and gum and the carbon monoxide level in their breath is checked using a CO Monitor – a test which Gwawr says helps spur them on: “The CO Monitor is a great motivational tool and people are really proud of themselves as they see the carbon monoxide levels coming down – it’s a tangible thing. They can see the benefits of stopping smoking after just 48 hours. It’s a bit like being weighed at Slimming World. People say they really felt like having a cigarette the night before but the thought of coming into and using the CO monitor stopped them. Many people are also horrified by how high their carbon monoxide levels are when they first come in.”

Those who do not manage to stop smoking by the end of the programme cannot re-join until another six months have passed. Gwawr says she is keen not to discourage those who don’t manage it the first-time round: “If people are really struggling I’ve learnt to say ‘let’s draw a line under this. Don’t beat yourself up’. I give them a handshake and say well done for trying. I feel more comfortable with trying to be positive and motivating. If people have failed they are far more likely to try again if you say ‘don’t worry about it, try again next time’, rather than lecturing them and scaring them off.”

People taking part in Gwawr’s sessions are seen on an individual basis rather than taking part in group sessions. She says this works well as she is able to tailor her approach to each person’s age and circumstances. And given that she works with smokers ranging from teenagers to 80-year-olds, this is really helpful: “With young people I try to be more motivational,” she said. “They need more encouragement because they don’t care about their health as much. With them lecturing doesn’t work. With older people, if you’re in your 70s or 80s and you’re asking for help then you’re pretty serious about it. All they need really is a massive pat on the back. A lot of the parents trying to quit come in with their children and I let them blow in the CO monitor which they think is great. Getting the children involved and making the sessions fun encourages them to come back.”
Ultimately however, while she avoids a one-size fits all approach, there is a one simple message that motivates all smokers to give up: “In my experience being scared that cigarettes will eventually kill you is the biggest motivator for giving up smoking.”

And, having helped Barry smokers from all walks of life to give up their habit, Gwawr says there is nothing more satisfying than seeing the progress people make and how it changes their lives: “I had a customer coming in the other day who said ‘do you know it’s been a year since I had my last cigarette.
“I really get to know the people taking part. At the beginning of the programme they come in and I don’t know anything about them. By the end of the 12 weeks we’ve built up a really good relationship and I know all about their lives.”

If you are a smoker who would like to find out more about how to give up, Help Me Quit is run by NHS Wales and will help you to find the stop smoking service that best suits you. Contact them on 0800 085 2219 or visit www.helpmequit.wales. Information on how to quit smoking is also available on the ASH Wales website or the Choose Smokefree Facebook page.

Dementia expert warns smokers to quit

An internationally renowned dementia expert is calling for smokers to quit on World Alzheimer’s Day.
Bob Woods, Emeritus Professor of Clinical Psychology of Older People at Bangor University, has joined forces with Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Wales, to warn smokers of the links between smoking and Alzheimer’s Disease.

He said: “In the UK, it is thought 10% of cases of Alzheimer’s Disease may be attributable to smoking – that’s around 8,000 per annum. The probable mechanism is that smoking increases the risk of heart disease and blood supply problems. Other risk factors for these vascular problems also increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease – diabetes, midlife hypertension, midlife obesity and physical inactivity. These risk factors also increase the risk of developing the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s, known as vascular dementia.”

He went on to say, however, that by giving up smoking the likelihood of ex-smokers developing dementia decreases, explaining: “Studies suggest that the risk for ex-smokers is reduced, and may even be no different from that of non-smokers.”
And, having spent 40 years researching dementia, Professor Woods who was Director of the Dementia Services Development Centre Wales, until his retirement last year, said he would urge smokers to break the habit: “At present there are no cures for dementia, and many of us will have seen loved ones developing the condition and experienced its impact on family and friends as well as on the person with the condition. We can all increase our brain health by our lifestyle choices and reducing the risk of dementia is an additional good reason for breaking the habit.”

According to a 2014 report on tobacco use and dementia published by the World Health Organisation, an estimated 14 per cent of Alzheimer’s Disease cases worldwide are attributable to smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke. The report states that supporting tobacco users to quit should be a top priority for the prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of dementia.

Suzanne Cass is Chief Executive Officer of ASH Wales. She said: “We absolutely support the view that it is never too late to make changes to your life and repair some of the damage you’ve done.

“Giving up smoking can be difficult but there is plenty of support out there. You don’t need to do this alone and the benefits of a tobacco free life are enormous – not least a decreased risk of developing dementia, a debilitating condition for which there is no cure.”

Alzheimer’s Society’s Country Director for Wales, Sue Phelps, joined the call for smokers to give up cigarettes and adopt a healthier lifestyle:

“Alzheimer’s Society encourages stopping smoking, as this is thought to reduce the risk of developing dementia back down to the level of non-smokers. It is never too late to adopt healthier lifestyle choices and by avoiding second-hand smoke, people are also likely to help reduce their risk of developing the condition.”

“Two of the most common forms of dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease and vascular dementia, are linked to problems with the vascular system. It is known that smoking increases the risk of vascular problems, which may lead to strokes or smaller bleeds in the brain, which are both risk factors for dementia.”

Dr Sara Imarisio, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, added: “The toxic chemicals in cigarettes can increase oxidative stress and inflammation, which have both been linked to development of Alzheimer’s Disease. Smoking also increases the chance of developing other health conditions like type 2 diabetes, which in turn elevate the likelihood of dementia.

“Alongside not smoking, the best current evidence to keep your brain healthy as you age is to drink within the recommended guidelines, stay physically fit, eat a balanced diet, and keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels in check.”

If you are a smoker and would like to quit, ASH Wales offers great tips on how to get started. Visit the ASH Wales website www.ash.wales to get friendly advice from other quitters as well as daily tips and motivation. Help Me Quit is run by NHS Wales and will help you to find the stop smoking service that best suits you. Contact them on 0808 278 6119 or visit www.helpmequit.wales

More Smokers Are Ditching Tobacco For Healthier E-cigarettes

A total of 7% of Welsh adults are vaping and latest figures show the vast majority have quit or are trying to quit smoking. Figures released today by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) also reveal a third of smokers have yet to even try vaping.

Findings from the YouGov survey of 12,000 British adults show the majority of current e-cigarette users, 52%, are ex-smokers, 44% are currently still smoking and only 4% of e-cigarette users have never smoked.

However, many smokers are being put off from trying an e-cigarette due to a lack of knowledge about the products and the benefits of switching.

Public perceptions around e-cigarettes remain inaccurate with almost a quarter of the population thinking e-cigarettes are as harmful or more harmful than tobacco.

A recent report by Westminster MPs stated there is clear evidence e-cigarettes are substantially less harmful than conventional cigarettes and the UK government was missing an opportunity with e-cigarettes to help smokers quit.

There are more than 470,000 smokers in Wales and over 5,000 people die every year because of a smoking related illness. Smoking rates in the most deprived areas remain stubbornly high at 28% and the financial burden of being a smoker increases year-on-year.

Suzanne Cass, Chief Executive Officer of ASH Wales, said: ”We need to do all we can to help the 40% of smokers that try to give up every year, succeed. If you smoke the best thing you can do is to quit altogether, but if you can’t then switching to an e-cigarette could save your life.

”We have fantastic free stop smoking services in Wales who can help you whether you’re a smoker who vapes or someone who just wants to quit. Getting the right support is a crucial part of that stop smoking journey.

”Misconceptions about e-cigarettes could be stopping many smokers from starting that journey.”

She went on to say that the results of the survey are encouraging: ”We welcome the results of the survey which show that the vast majority of e-cigarette users are either smokers or ex-smokers using vaping to replace or cut down on conventional cigarettes. Evidence shows e-cigarettes are a highly effective smoking cessation tool and we must do all we can to spread this message among those smokers who have yet to try them.”

Help Me Quit is the national smoking cessation service run by NHS Wales and helps smokers to find the service that suits them best. To find out more visit www.ash.wales/who-can-help-me/

ASH Wales Chair, John Griffiths, steps down after 30 years in tobacco control

Three decades of working in tobacco control is not achieved without notching up a few battle scars along the way.

Our Chair John Griffiths retires from ASH Wales today after more than 30 years of dedicated service.  John’s versatility of character has led to him being appointed to every position possible on our board. His commitment, integrity and knowledge meant the trustees could not let him go and in 2012 he was ‘invited’ back from retirement to ‘give the charity just one more year’. Thankfully John chose to stay.

When John first joined the charity he had his work cut out, 30% of the population were smoking including 20% of 15-year-old girls and 16% of 15-year-old boys.  The tobacco epidemic was out of control.  In 1984, to stem the tide of young people taking up this deadly habit, the infamous “No Smoking Day” was launched on ASH Wednesday. This national campaign was in media terms ‘massive’ and over the years became a day that made every smoker in the country think about their habit. It was brought about by a collection of organisations run through a committee chaired by John for several years.

In tandem the Government, supported by ASH and its third sector partners, took action and banned the sale of all tobacco products to under 16’s….and over the next few years a raft of policies designed to protect children followed.

TV advertising was banned, they stopped smokers from lighting up on planes, health warnings were made bigger and more hard hitting.

But still the tobacco epidemic spread like cancer through our communities, ten years later in 1998 smoking rates among children hit an all time high. 29% of all 15-year-old girls and 21% of all 15-year-old boys were now smoking. The effects of these astronomically high smoking rates would blight the health of the nation for decades.

More needed to be done, we needed more campaigns, a unified approach and government support.

John helped to galvanise this support on an international scale: working for the World Health Organisation Euro on issues around smoke free workplaces training and bringing together like-minded people. Education, health and workplace services have been at the heart of everything that John has done and continues to do.

Eventually, with leadership from Euro and the tobacco control framework, tobacco controls began to be tightened. The tobacco companies finally started to feel the squeeze as prices were hiked, advertising in sport was banned and sponsorship was censored. Bigger warnings, better education and increased controls eventually led to the number of young people smoking starting to fall.  In 2006 the number of 15-year-old girls smoking had fallen to 23% and boys down to 12%.

But the most significant change in tobacco control was still to be implemented. The banning of smoking in public enclosed space has been the biggest contributor to tobacco control in a generation. The battle to get the legislation was a fierce one, the tobacco companies fought it tooth and nail claiming it would drive smokers from the pubs into their homes and more children would be exposed to second-hand smoke.  But John, ASH Wales and a steady line of tenacious Assembly Members led the charge and in 2005 a welsh cross-party Committee on Smoking in Public Places concluded that ‘there is overwhelming evidence that environmental tobacco smoke is damaging to health and there is no evidence that the introduction of a ban would have an overall negative impact on the economy’.

In April 2007 the ban comes into force – ten years later the ban has led to a step change in the way smokers behave particularly around children. The number of those who smoke in the home has reduced from 80% to 46%, suggesting a massive cultural shift.  The number of smokers in Wales has fallen by nearly 100,000. We are indeed a much healthier nation.

As a former teacher John’s passion in tobacco control has always been about educating children. Through John’s work with the Healthy Schools programme he has ensured the harms associated with tobacco use are firmly on the agenda. In the launch of the new Tobacco Control Action Plan for Wales the Public Health Minister, Rebecca Evans, directly referred to the scheme and its contribution to prevention; promising a review of the tobacco criteria within these national quality awards.

There is much still to be done, smoking prevalence for the unemployed stands at over 40%, 33% of people with mental ill health are still smoking and 16% of women smoke throughout their pregnancy. But overall rates are falling especially amongst young people with just 8.5 % of teenagers now smoking. This reduction is something to be proud of.

John will be sorely missed at ASH Wales and we will be forever in his debt for the contributions that he has made and the changes he has supported. We wish him well and hope that he enjoys continuing to follow our work as we continue the fight for a smoke-free Wales.

Suzanne Cass, Chief Executive Officer of ASH Wales

To find out more about what has happened since the smoking ban  visit www.ash.wales.