Superdrug is the first high street retailer to support the NHS drive to encourage expectant parents to quit smoking by increasing accessibility to smoking cessation products and advice.
From the 9th January 2020 if a pregnant woman produces her valid maternity exemption certificate at any of Superdrug’s 800 stores, she will receive an additional 20% discount on any Nicorette nicotine replacement products. The additional discount will also be available to new mums to encourage those with young infants to quit as the maternity exemption certificate is valid for 12 months after the baby’s due date.
According to research by Tommy’s charity, as many as 1 in 10 women smoke throughout their pregnancy and the risk of stillbirth is 52% higher in women who smoke 10 cigarettes a day. As part of a drive to cut stillbirths and the numbers of smokers in the UK by 50% by 2025, the NHS recently announced that from July 2019 it will be offering all women a carbon monoxide screening test at the 12 and 36 weeks stage of pregnancy in a bid to persuade thousands to give up the habit.
Lucy Morton-Channon, Superdrug’s Pharmacy Superintendent, says:
We’ve launched this initiative in support of the NHS drive to encourage expectant parents to quit smoking and reduce the harmful effects on themselves and their unborn babies. Giving up smoking can be hard, but there is evidence to suggest success rates are much improved when customers use nicotine replacement products and have access to professional advice.”
Sarah Siguine, Head of Pregnancy Information at Tommy’s says:
Protecting your baby from tobacco smoke is one of the best things a parent can do for their baby’s health during pregnancy and beyond. Every cigarette contains thousands of chemicals, which pass through the placenta to the baby. It can be difficult for some people to stop smoking, but there is plenty of support available to help you, such as licensed nicotine replacement therapy products that are safe to use in pregnancy and can increase the chances of quitting successfully. Stopping smoking at any stage of pregnancy will benefit both the parents and the baby straight away, so it’s important not to give up on giving up. Stopping smoking reduces the risk of stillbirth, premature birth and other serious complications. Tommy’s PregnancyHub has lots of tips and information about ways to give up smoking, the risks of second hand smoke and how to get help when you need it.”
The 20% discount on any Nicorette nicotine replacement products includes Patches, Gums, Sprays and Lozenges (see full product list below). Additionally, in all Superdrug pharmacy stores, the pharmacy team will be able to provide advice and support on how to quit smoking sensibly, and educate customers on the dangers of secondhand smoke contributing to stillbirths and complications during childbirth.
To provide a discount of Nicorette nicotine replacement products, Superdrug has partnered with Nicorette nicotine replacement products which are the number one stop smoking brand. Ideally smoking cessation during pregnancy should be achieved without NRT however, if the mother cannot quit without pharmacological support, NRT may be used as the risk to the fetus is lower than that expected with smoking during pregnancy.
Cost becomes a significant factor in smoking cessation efforts