EMS launches stop smoking campaign

The six-week road show for England’s eighth-biggest PCT will use innovative technology to reach shoppers in the high streets and markets of Erewash, offering information, health tests and advice on quitting.

The campaign will be delivered on board a colourful, branded mobile information unit, designed and supplied by EMS. The vehicle has space for up to 15 people to sit down, with full disabled access.

On board, local people will be able to learn about the harmful effects of smoking on their health through an interactive lung age test – a proven technique to help people quit smoking. There is also new ‘face ageing’ technology to show the damaging effects of smoking on the skin. The unit will host ‘drop-in’ clinics with advice from experts and leaflets for would-be quitters.

Tina Jones Smoking Cessation Manager for Derbyshire County PCT said: “This is the first time that we have taken our service on the road in a mobile unit.

“By going out to where people are, rather than waiting for them to come to us, we hope to reach new sections of the community and to support more people in giving up smoking. Our aim is to reduce smoking among local people in the long term. By encouraging them to take those first steps towards quitting, we hope they will stay smoke-free for life.”

EMS has a long track record in stop smoking initiatives. In 2009, a campaign for Newham PCT in London engaged with 6,339 people over twelve weeks. Of those, 5,136 took a ‘lung age’ (spirometer) test on board the road show vehicle and 840 set a ‘quit date’ with the PCT team.

Keith Austin, Chief Executive Officer at EMS Healthcare, said: “We are delighted to work with Derbyshire County on this ambitious project, and are confident that it will prove as successful as previous campaigns. EMS has proved that going mobile is a highly effective way of raising awareness of a local healthcare service and increasing uptake.”