Kick It Shisha Strategy
Kick it is committed to reducing the prevalence of shisha usage, a way of smoking tobacco through a water pipe; a past time particularly popular amongst some ethnic groups. Kick It attempts to increase awareness around the risks associated with shisha use and shed lights on common shisha myths. A variety of shisha related resources are available through Kick It, as well as shisha friendly clinics where users can receive specialist support on stopping.
Shisha friendly clinics include:
- Mobile Van Clinic – Church Street Market, Westminster – Fridays (10:00 – 17:00)
- Church Street Library, Westminster – Tuesdays (10:00 – 12:00)
A quitter testimonial is available in both English and Arabic below:
Mobile Quit Van
At Kick It we have a mobile quit van, which is not only recognisable in our areas of work but also means we can take our service to your very doorstep. This ‘quit van’ is a 5x day per week service, which is always staffed by a train stop smoking advisor. Subject to availability you can drop-in for your first stop smoking appointment, we offer our regular booked smoking session from the van and also provide pharmacotherapies/nicotine replacement therapies!
Our van timetable currently looks like:
Monday: Kensington and Chelsea – Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Town Hall – Health promotion (No appointments available)
Tuesday: Kingston – Guildhall Complex (10:00 – 16:00)
Wednesday: Hammersmith & Fulham – Brook Green Tescos (12:30 – 15:30)
Friday: Westminster – Church Street Market (10:00 – 16:00)
Quitting as a journey where every step counts
Cut down to quit
For some quitting smoking is a particularly difficult process and at Kick It we provide alternative methods of support to help you progress towards that ultimate goal. ‘Cut down to quit’ is our approach to harm reduction and cutting the number of cigarettes smoked in half before a quit attempt.
Smokefree home pledge
We encourage smokers to set a “Smokefree Home Pledge” which is a commitment to create a ‘Smokefree Home’. This is an environment where nobody, including friends or family are permitted to smoke. Setting a pledge leads to an optional, free support pack and the opportunity for a home safety visit from London Fire Brigade. ‘Smokefree Homes’ are important as over 80% of cigarette smoke is odourless and invisible, therefore it is impossible to see what is present in your lounge, kitchen or bedroom. Smoke also lingers in the air several hours after a cigarette is put out and clings to fabrics like clothes, curtains and furniture, even if you leave an open door or window.
E-cigarettes / Vape friendly service
Kick it will also support smokers who choose e-cigarettes as an aid to quitting tobacco but who are currently still smoking. We can provide pharmacotherapy and specialist behavioral advice to everyone wishing to cut down and stop smoking altogether.
Cig Free Break
In this modern day and age, with the use of smart phones so prevalent amongst Londoners, Kick It also recommends the use of the free Cigbreak app to support a quit attempt. The Cigbreak app is multi-faceted featuring a quit tracker, distraction games for those long tube journeys and helpful tips and advice for those times when the cravings hit. Android phone users can download the app here:
Youth Smoking Prevention
At Kick-It we also recognise the importance of smoking prevention and to support this arm of work we have a specialist youth project called Ctrl-Z. To find out more about Ctrl-Z visit the Youth Smoking Prevention page.
