Support the Quit Leaders

Smoking increases your risk of acute respiratory infections like COVID-19

by damaging the natural barriers in your airways and lungs that help

prevent infections. Thankfully, many people are giving up smoking

because of the risk posed by COVID-19 and with the support of the HSE

Quit programme, they have a much better chance of success. The HSE

have recruited 10 would-be quitters to tell their stories and help inspire

others to join them on the journey towards becoming smoke-free. Please

see the Quit 2021 pack to find out more about how you can follow their

journey to inspire even more people to Quit.

Medical Cards for patients with Terminal Illnesses

The Government introduced a measure on Feb 9th 2021 that will enable

individuals, who have been certified by their treating consultant as having

a prognosis of less than 24 months to live, to be awarded a medical card

without undergoing a means test. The measure is being introduced on an

administrative basis pending legislative change. From 12th March 2021, a

medical card can be awarded (without a means test) to an individual who

has been certified by their treating consultant as having a prognosis of 24

months or less and the updated information is available on the HSE

website here.

EU Web Survey to explore current drug trends in Ireland is open for Irish

participation

HSE in collaboration with the Health Research Board and the EU drugs

agency (EMCDDA) are asking adults in Ireland who use drugs to complete

this survey to help shape the future of drug policies and interventions. The

survey is anonymous and is open to adults aged 18 and over. The survey is

open from yesterday for a 6-week period.

The survey is available here.

For information and support relating to your own or someone else’s drug

use, go to www.drugs.ie or Freephone the HSE Helpline on 1800 459 459

Monday – Friday 9:30 – 5:30 or email helpline@drugs.ie

Grow It Forward 2021 initiative

This was recently launched, as part of the Government’s Keep Well

campaign and funded by Sláintecare, through the Healthy Ireland fund.

The Grow It Forward 2021 initiative, in partnership with Healthy Ireland

and Libraries Ireland, is designed to help the nation’s wellbeing by

inspiring and supporting people to grow some of their own food and

plants at home while connecting with friends and family to join them.

Evidence shows the positive effects of outdoors and gardening on mental

wellbeing. Through this initiative, 50,000 seed packs will be given away,

and participants asked to use the kits to share the experience with ten

people, enabling half a million people across Ireland to enjoy the wide

range of benefits that come from growing food at home. You are invited

to claim a Grow it Forward pack. Register here https://bit.ly/3twwQuz or

by contacting your local library (all 330 branches nationwide are helping to

drive the effort).