HEALTH APP

The ones worth downloading

THIS week: NHS Smokefree app (free), iPhone and Android THIS takes you through a 28-day programme towards stopping smoking. The idea is that if you can stop for this long, you are more likely to quit permanently.

The display asks you to list your motivations for quitting and answer questions about your smoking habits.

Then it provides a tailored selection of advice to help you quit — such as throwing away your ashtrays.

There is a ‘craving help’ section for extra support for when you get a craving, such as finding the right things to distract yourself with. It also includes links to distracting games and videos of people who have quit. ‘Quitting smoking is not easy and there is no magic tool — it takes willpower and perseverance,’ says GP Camilla Janssen from Hampshire. ‘Every little helps.’ This app is quick to set up and easy to find your way round. ‘The fact that you can upload personalised videos, audio messages and photos, using things that are personal to you, and set personalised health goals will improve motivation.’