Use your phone to quit smoking

If you are one of the two million smokers who want to kick the habit then help is at hand. To coincide with No Smoking Day on March 10th, the NHS has produced a new "Quit Smoking" iPhone app.

Available from iTunes, www.smokefree.nhs.uk and NHS Choices, it will:

• Provide daily hints and tips to manage cravings
• Keep a running tally on how much money quitters have saved since they stopped smoking
• Track the number of days, hours and minutes since quitting
• Include a direct link to the stop smoking helpline so they can speak with an adviser when they need to
• Help find local NHS Stop Smoking Services

A similar application launched in December by the NHS to help people keep track of their alcohol intake has been downloaded 65,000 times.

As well as the iPhone application, another app available from www.wequit.facebook.co.uk allows smokers and friends to track their progress, gives tips on quitting and allows users to support and reward their friends in their efforts. You can even raise money for charity along the way.

Created by the charity No Smoking Day, the app is free and simple to use, and can be added to your Facebook profile.

Dragons Den personality Duncan Bannatyne, who is President of the charity said: ''We feel that quitting is a challenge that should be inspiring and enjoyable rather than a chore, and it's this attitude that makes WeQuit unique.''

This article was published on Wed 10 March 2010