Saturday, February 18, 2006
Quit Smoking
South Shields Quitters
The biggest queue to be seen for a long time in South Shields was witnessed this morning, not at a shop, a sale, or a cinema, but at the old St. Paul's Presbyterian Church in Westoe Road. The building is now the Centre for the Community run by Community Regeneration Trust North East. In a joint venture with South Tyneside Primary Care Trust smokers were being offered the opportunity to get advice and support to help them quit, as well as free nicotine replacement therapies. Four sessions are being offered on Saturday mornings from 10.00 a.m. till 12.00 noon, and the demand today was enormous, a constant queue of wannabe "non-smokers" tailed down Westoe Road and round the corner into Robinson Street.
I asked one of the voluntary workers giving out leaflets if the impending decision to ban smoking in pubs and clubs was an influencing factor in encouraging so many people to want to give up.
"We think it is, listening to the people here this morning, many of them have come to the decision to give up after hearing of the government's plans. Perhaps they just needed a trigger to help them make the decision"
Mr. George Allen of Marsden said he had tried to give up twice before but found the nicotine patches expensive and without any outside help and support his efforts were ineffective.
The queue never seemed to shorten and parking was almost impossible in the back streets around Westoe Road.
Perhaps this new legislation may well be the catalyst to thousands of smokers stubbing out the habit once and for all.
About Me
Curly Born in 1956
Sanddancer
Sunderland fan
Male
Retailer
Former Borough Councillor
View my Profile
Contact
Email Curly
south-shields AT
blueyonder DOT co DOT uk
Got a story?
Got a tip off?
Got some scandal?
Let me know!
07941386870
Search
Search this site
Comments
How do I make a comment on this blog?
Links
Curly's Corner Shop website
Curly's Photoshop
My Message Board
Shields photo gallery
RTG Message Board
Sunderland AFC Blog
Site Feed
Blogroll Me!
Past
December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007