Project has helped 60 Traveller families to quit smoking at home
AS 2019 drew to a close, the County Wicklow Primary Health Care workers team, who engage with their local Travelling community, took time out to celebrate the achievements of the Tobacco Free Home and Car project.
The project was established in conjunction with County Wicklow Partnership Tobacco Cessation Project and the HSE Tobacco Health Promotion team.
Sixty families take part in this project, with 21 per cent of families having members who are now trying to stop smoking.
Participating families had noted to team workers that it was difficult at the start not to smoke in their home but they were encouraged to stick with it and were supported by the project and, in particular, by the Carbon Monoxide monitoring of themselves and their children.
The parents who took part said that they are happy now that their children are not breathing in second hand smoke and that they are getting the message that it is not OK to smoke.
Mary Desmond from the HSE’s Tobacco Health Promotion unit said: ‘ The most important thing that the team are bringing to families is the gift of health.’
She thanked the Primary Health Care workers for their commitment to the project. The valuable sponsorship received for this project from Paul Flynn of Perrigo was also acknowledged.
Anne Kavanagh from County Wicklow Partnership Community Tobacco Cessation spoke about the ‘QUIT’ support packs developed by the team and looked forward to working with the team in 2020 to bringing the Smoke Free Home project to more families and supporting people who are trying to quit.
To find out more about this project or other community projects helping people to make positive changes in relation to their smoking habits, call Anne Kavanagh at 087 1500 234 or the HSE Smoking Cessation Clinics on 01 274 429.