World No Tobacco Day

Published: 31 May 2022

On World No Tobacco Day (Tuesday 31 May), Torbay and South Devon NHS Maternity Services is announcing a new Treating Tobacco Dependency Service for pregnant women and birthing people to help them quit smoking.

Launching on Monday 6 June, the specialist service will be based in the Maternity Unit at Torbay Hospital. Smoke free Pregnancy Support Workers will be on hand to provide advice and support to help pregnant people quit smoking including nicotine replacement therapy, e-cigarettes and behavioural support.

The service also extends to people living in the same household as a pregnant person, as their smoke can affect pregnant people and their baby during pregnancy and after birth. They may also find it more difficult to quit when people close to them are smoking.

Jo Bassett, Head of Midwifery at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Every cigarette contains 4,000 chemicals, so smoking when you are pregnant harms your unborn baby. Tobacco smoke reduces the amount of oxygen which reaches your baby – damaging their health and development.

“By smoking in pregnancy, you hugely increase the chance of miscarriage, stillbirth, poor growth, premature birth, and sudden infant death syndrome (SID). It can also cause ongoing health issues such as asthma and behavioural issues for a child as they grow.

“Our maternity services work hard to update and improve the support that we offer and we are reaching more women, birthing people and families than ever before. This new service will enable us to build on this great work and provide a tailored service to help pregnant women and birthing people take their first steps towards a smoke free pregnancy.”