What is your lung age? Find out as part of No Smoking Day: Wednesday 10th March

No Smoking Day takes place on Wednesday 10th March and the message this year is ‘Break free, we can help’. The theme has a striking image of arms breaking free from a chain of cigarettes, which is designed to symbolise the vicious chain of addiction and feeling trapped within it. It also highlights that people can ‘break out’ and that help is available.

As part of No Smoking Day activities, people are being given the unique opportunity this year to find out their own personal ‘Lung Age’. Members of the Respiratory Team from the Cardio- Respiratory Department at Noble’s Hospital will be on hand to carry out this ‘breath test’, providing the public with an exclusive chance to find out what age their lungs are in comparison to their real age.

To find out your Lung Age, visit the Teams in the following locations:

Tuesday 9th March. Castletown Market Square, 11.00am-2.00pm. Peel Market Place, 3.00pm-5.00 pm.

Wednesday 10th March. Noble’s Hospital Braddan, display inside main entrance, 9.30am-12.00noon. Ramsey Shoprite Car park, Bowring Road, 1.30pm-4.00pm.

The Respiratory Team will be joined by the Quit4You Stop Smoking Service and also the Ambulance Service, promoting No Smoking Day in the Ambulance’s new Promotional Bus. The bus will be parked at various locations around the Island on Tuesday 9th and Wednesday 10th March. Quit4You advisors will be on hand to offer information and friendly support, and to let the public know about the varied free options available to help people quit smoking. They’ll be stocked with plenty of giveaways, leaflets, and will have their Carbon Monoxide monitors on hand, so you can also measure your CO (Carbon Monoxide) levels.

For more information about the Ambulance Bus, contact Anita Imberger (Tobacco Strategy Coordinator, Public Health, DHSS) on (01624) 642404.

In addition to Lung Age tests, the Public Health Directorate is also working in partnership with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), to organise a mobile ‘Virtual Ageing Booth’ to visit the Island from 15th to the 19th March. The booth uses cutting-edge ageing technology to let you see what you could look like in 50 years. It has been extremely popular touring the UK and Ireland, and now Island residents are also being offered an exclusive opportunity to see what they might look like in years to come. The booth is part of a ‘Future Vision’ campaign which raises awareness of the links between lifestyle choice and the prevention of avoidable sight loss. In particular, the project focuses on two key risk factors for eye health: failure to take regular eye tests and smoking.

To picture yourself in years to come, visit the Future Vision Booth in the following locations:

Monday 15th March Manx Blind Welfare Society, Corrin Court, Heywood Avenue, Onchan, 10.00am-4.00pm

Tuesday 16th and Wednesday 17th March Isle of Man College, Homefield Road, Douglas, 10.00am-3.00pm

Thursday 18th and Friday 19th March Regent Street (Opposite Post Office), Douglas, 10.00am-4.00pm

For more information about the Future Vision Booth, please contact Julie Lee (Senior Rehabilitation Officer, RNIB Resource Centre, Onchan) on (01624) 677626.