08/04/2024
Our colleagues in the grassroots radio sector, over at Chippenham Hospital Radio in Wiltshire, report that NHS No Smoking Day was on Wednesday March 13th. Whilst there are many LGBTQIA+ people who vigorously defend the right to do with their bodies exactly as they please, and broadly speaking, much of the movement would agree with them, there is a growing consensus that smoking disproportionately impacts members of our community, to the detriment of health and longevity. The official NHS press release for the day, which aims to promote the services available to help individuals quit smoking, reads "When you quit smoking, good things start to happen — you can begin to see almost immediate improvements to your health. It's much easier to stop smoking when you get the right support and there are lots of options to choose from. You might want to consider the cost of different aids and the side effects. If you've tried to quit before, think about what methods worked for you and what you might want to do differently. The key is not to give up, try different combinations until you find the one that works for you. Use the NHS Quit Smoking app to help you quit smoking and start breathing easier."