SMOKERS were banished to the street and huddling outside pubs and clubs 10 years ago.

Around the same time NHS Ayrshire and Arran set up Fresh Air-shire, a smoking cessation and support service which provided, among other things, specialist advice and access to Nicotine Replacement Therapy.

This support was then extended by introducing a pharmacy-based service, with wide access, albeit less intensive, support.

However, between both, over the last decade 47,868 people have been supported in their attempt to stop smoking. Fresh Air-shire has seen 18,530 people during the past 10 years.

Over the same time period, the pharmacy service has had referrals for 13,289 people in North Ayrshire.

There have also been many benefits to non-smokers following the ban on public smoking, including an 18 per cent reduction in childhood asthma admissions.

In addition, there has been a 39 per cent reduction in second-hand smoke exposure in 11-year-olds and in adult non-smokers, as well as an 86 per cent reduction in second-hand smoke in bars.

Ash Scotland calculates that smoking causes 10,000 deaths in Scotland and approximately 128,000 people to be admitted into hospital, while costing the Scottish economy more than £1billion each year.

Dr Carol Davidson, Director of Public Health, said: “I am delighted that Fresh Air-shire, together with our pharmacy service, have been so successful in offering support and advice to people in Ayrshire and Arran for the past ten years.

“I am convinced that many lives have been saved over the past ten years, thanks to the support that people have received from these services to stop smoking.

“It is the single best thing smokers can do to improve their health and their life expectancy.

“Prevention is also just as important. Our team has being working in local communities with businesses and in schools providing the facts on the terrible toll that smoking takes on people’s health.”

In February 2016, NHS Ayrshire & Arran became the first health board in Scotland to endorse Scotland’s Charter for a Tobacco-free Generation.

The Charter for a Tobacco-free Generation is a new initiative from health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Scotland in response to the Scottish Government’s goal of creating a tobacco-free generation of Scots by 2034.

For help to stop smoking, you can e-mail freshair-shire@aapct.scot.nhs.uk or call free on 0800 783 9132.