East Lancs pregnant smokers urged to stub out cigarettes (From Lancashire Telegraph)

East Lancs pregnant smokers urged to stub out cigarettes

4:30pm Thursday 29th July 2010

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PREGNANT smokers have been urged to stub out cigarettes to protect them and their unborn babies.

The 'Your Way' smoking cessation campaign, run by NHS East Lancashire, which provides services in Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Ribble Valley and Rossendale, has resulted in 74 per cent more smokers, year on year, accessing its services.

But health chiefs said pregnant women, along with manual workers and the black and minority ethnic communities were continuing to ignore pleas to quit.

Chemicals from cigarettes are transmitted from pregnant mums to their unborn children. The development of the foetus is affected and babies can suffer nicotine withdrawal after birth.

Rowena Dean smoked around 20 cigarettes a day for 10 years before deciding to quit for the sake of her unborn baby.

Like nearly a fifth of pregnant smokers, the 24-year-old was reluctant to reveal her habit to health workers.

But Rowena, from Rossendale, said: “Telling my midwife that I wanted to stop smoking was the best thing I could have done, as she pointed me in the direction of NHS East Lancashire’s stop smoking service.”

Rowena started smoking at the age of 13. She quit at 19, but after a year without cigarettes succumbed to temptation on holiday in Barcelona and went back to square one.

However, the stop smoking service sessions helped her quit for good.

She said: “I didn’t feel judged at all. The staff were incredibly welcoming.

“They talked me through how I could quit and what products I could use.

“I was surprised to learn that I could use nicotine patches while pregnant.

“Also, as I was pregnant, I got the patches for free.”

Rowena’s determination rubbed off on her partner, Jacob, who also quit smoking with the service. They are now eagerly awaiting their new arrival.

Rachel Nickson, one of the stop smoking advisors who works with pregnant smokers, urged expectant mums to seek help.

She said: "We are on hand to offer tailored support for pregnant women to enable them to successfully quit smoking."

To contact your nearest stop smoking service call 01254 38042 or visit www.smokefree.eastlancs.nhs.uk.

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