Pregnant smokers in Lincolnshire get help to quit

An NHS stop-smoking scheme is helping pregnant women in Lincolnshire kick the habit.

The programme known as STAAR is an initiative run in partnership with Lincolnshire County Council.

It began in January to support pregnant women and their families as part of maternity care received by United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust.

Midwife Gillian Walker said patients completing a "smoke-free journey" was a "fantastic achievement".

Ms Walker, tobacco dependency lead midwife, said: "Over the coming months, we're expecting to see more and more patients completing their smoke free journey."

"With specialist support, smokers are three times more likely to succeed than going it alone," she added.

Officials said the STAAR programme currently had several expectant mothers signed up and being helped by a tobacco dependency lead midwife and tobacco dependency advisors.

The experts work across the hospitals and in local communities helping participants through a series of face-to-face behavioural support and licensed pharmacotherapy sessions, including Nicotine Replacement Therapy.

One of the current participants, Aleksandra Pigonska, 27, from Spalding, has been a smoker since she was 14-years-old. She enrolled on the STAAR programme at 11-weeks pregnant and has successfully remained smoke-free.

"I wasn't actually thinking about quitting smoking before because I didn't want to, but now the baby is in the picture I want to do so," she said.

Ms Pigonska said she had initially found it hard to quit as she lives with her mother, who had been a smoker for over 30 years.

However, she said her mother had also decided to quit smoking to support her.

"I don't have smokers in the house on a daily basis now, so I don't have that temptation in the house," she said.

"That was a big help at the start, but now I am at the point I can be around people smoking and I don't crave them anymore," she added.