Did you know that you can walk into your local pharmacy (in the UK) and receive an NHS Quit Kit for free? No questions asked, you don't need to sign up or give any details.
Now whether it helps or not is a whole other question.
It has a lot of nicely designed, nice-to-touch pieces of paper and a piece of blue "Squeeeeeze me" plastic. They tried to offer information and help from various angles, which is very good.
It seems to me that all the information within this box is all on the NHS site as well. But there is a calendar in the box with a tip for something to do and think about every day for 28 days. You can rip the page off once you are done with another smoke-free day. This is actually useful in two ways. One, finally I find a piece of information I had been looking for. They are saying if you can quit for 28 days, "you're five times more likely to stay smokefree." That's promising. I have actually been working on organizing or at least putting some ideas together for the first month. Of course, a smoker will always remain a smoker - they say. The idea of smoking and the urge will surely pop up often in later months, years, who knows for how long.
Also, an idea of a calendar, something you can touch and rip off, tick off, add to a pile, etc. is a good idea. Perhaps not something bearing the name "smokefree" on every page. S. hates to have branding in his home, he has a curious way of ripping off all branding that can be ripped or cut off or scratched out from all products in our home. First I found this quite odd, but then when I thought about it, we are forced to see enough branding everywhere, every day, why would we need to have our home as a nest for hundreds of marketing bullshit ad campaigns?! So I am okay with this, but I know many people find this odd.
Back to the kit, now.
They also congratulate you several times for choosing this precious "Quit kit". Cute name, by the way. Qute name (ok, stop that right now!). Of course as I was the one picking up the kit, I am the one they are congratulating. So a pat on the back for me for doing whatever I am doing. For being a busy bee. For beeing a ... Oh, never mind.
Yes, there are a few good bits within the Quit kit, and yes, you can now "touch" all the information and it's all nicely laid out AND you've got your bit of blue plastic, too. But the whole box is a touch disappointing. I was hoping for something a bit... a bit more... helpful.
But then again. It is again down to this:
If you want to quit, you need to quit. And if the encouraging pieces of paper in a lovely brown box help you, then there you go.
"Whatever works for you" - as my good friend, June, would say.
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