17 December 2018
La Moye prison has been offering one-to-one sessions to help inmates quit smoking as the prison prepares to be smoke free in January.
The Help 2 Quit and Prison Healthcare teams have delivered five stop-smoking groups to 42 prisoners, with an overall quit rate of 45%. Last month the prison began one-to-one sessions.
From January the prison will be smoke free, with no option for inmates to purchase cigarettes.
Prisoners who do not want to stop smoking will be able to buy e-cigarettes, and can be supported by the Help 2 Quit team should they change their minds. New prisoners entering La Moye from January will also have access to the Help 2 Quit service’s weekly clinic.
Prison governor Nick Cameron said: “The States of Jersey Prison Service assists prisoners in addressing offending behaviour and leading better and healthier lives as part of preparing them for release. Helping prisoners address the harmful effects of smoking for themselves, their families and especially their children all helps improve the quality of life for Jersey as a whole.”
Dr Linda Diggle, Head of Preventive Programmes, said: “Our Stop Smoking nurses have worked closely with the Prison Healthcare team throughout 2018 and together the two teams have achieved a very good success rate in helping prisoners to quit.”
The island’s latest Tobacco Strategy recognises that smoking is still a leading cause of preventable death and disease in Jersey, causing around 140 deaths a year and around 1,000 hospital admissions. The Tobacco Strategy also acknowledges the particularly high rate of smoking amongst prisoners: around four-fifths of new inmates are smokers.
To find out more please visit the Help2Quit stop smoking service.
gov.je