HSE stop smoking advisors are your best help to QUIT for good in 2026

The HSE is now supporting more people across the country than ever before to QUIT for good through stop smoking supports and free nicotine replacement therapies (NRT).

One such person is Krok (Bart) Przemyslaw, a 32-year-old who lives in Charleville, Co Cork.  He gave up smoking six months ago with the help of the HSE QUIT service. Every year he runs one or two marathons so is fit and healthy, but he found himself in a cycle of training for marathons followed by months of smoking. Bart would steadily increase the number of cigarettes he smoked per day until he started preparing three months out from the next marathon, and after running that marathon would go straight back on cigarettes.  In February last year he completed the Tokyo marathon but smoked afterwards until preparing for the next marathon which was in Brussels in October. Smoking was affecting his health and making him feel low.

Bart said: “I started smoking at 15 and from the age of 25 I tried each year to stop.  I tried lozenges and patches on my own but always went back to cigarettes after two weeks.  Between pressure at work and smoking I noticed my face was red and I was stressed looking. My blood pressure was up, and smoking was expensive.

One day I saw an ad for the QUIT support service, and I rang the QUITline.  Beverley is my stop smoking advisor and on each call she built me up to the point that I looked forward to her next call. She also arranged free NRT (nicotine replacement therapy) for me.  This time she explained how to use the NRT correctly and to use enough to manage my cravings. There was one time after two months where I smoked one cigarette and I thought I had ruined my chances at becoming smoke free, but Beverley encouraged me to keep going. I was in such a low mood for so long and to have someone to support me in stopping smoking was great.  I realised you need to really trust who is working with you.  During the quit journey there will be doubts but the main thing is, you know that your advisor cares about you, you hear it in their voice, so if I wasn’t trusting myself, I trusted my advisor.  Without the QUIT service from the HSE, I cannot imagine stopping smoking.”

Beverley remarked: ‘It has been such a pleasure working with Bart on his QUIT smoking journey. His story is one of real determination and despite the challenges, he stayed focused on his goal to improve his fitness. I truly hope his experience will inspire others. Bart’s journey has been nothing short of inspirational; his resilience, positive outlook, and focus have left a lasting impression on me.”

Bart continued: “I am hiking and track running to distract me from smoking and had the idea to show my advisor these new hobbies. So with all the money I saved from not smoking I bought a drone and made a video and song about my activities to show Beverley how I’ve replaced smoking with new interests and thank her for supporting me.  With Beverly’s support I completed the Brussels marathon in under 3 and a half hours, and I didn’t smoke afterwards.  I am free now, after so many years. The feeling that I do not need to smoke is amazing. I understand more about addiction having been through the programme and I am determined to stay quit for good this time.”

Martina Blake, National Lead, HSE Tobacco Free Ireland Programme said: “Bart's story shows the difference that getting support to quit can make. Smoking is a complex behaviour which has physical and psychological dependence elements and our trained stop smoking advisors can work with you to create a personalised stop smoking plan tailored to fit your lifestyle. They can advise you on NRT and provide this to you for free. This support can double your chance of quitting by helping address the physical cravings as well as working on your smoking triggers and the emotional side of quitting smoking.”

QUIT supports available

HSE QUIT services are free and available all year round. The QUIT service provides personalised, evidence-based plans, tailored to your needs, using any combination of the support options:

• Phone support from the Freephone QUITline 1800 201 203 or text 'QUIT' to 50100
• An online-personalised QUIT planwhere you can track your progress and also available through the HSE app
• Face to face and group supportfrom local community based services
• A free QUIT Kitto help you prepare
• Advice on Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and stop smoking medication

HSE QUIT services are now helping more people quit successfully than ever before. In the last five years, the number of people using HSE QUIT has doubled and the proportion who are successful quit at the end of their programme has increased by 50%. HSE QUIT services follow National Stop Smoking Guidelines and provide people with free access to support and stop smoking medications, which offer people the best chances of quitting for good.  

Top tips for quitting smoking successfully

1. Don’t feel you need to go it alone. HSE QUIT is there for you, to help you take this step with simple, practical and effective help, maximising your chance of staying quit for good. Staff will provide non-judgemental support and encouragement.
2. Focus on the goal to stay smoke-free for one day at a time until you get to 28 days. Once people get to that goal, they are up to 5 times more likely to stay quit for good.
3. Use stop-smoking medicine, like nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). This is a safe, effective and a clinically sound way of dealing with cravings.