A better Medway

Stop smoking support

There is plenty of free support and advice in Medway to help you stop smoking for good

Smoking is the leading preventable cause of premature death, causing almost 75,000 deaths a year.

But it is never too late to quit. Stopping smoking brings immediate benefits to health, including for people with an existing smoking-related disease.

The average smoker can save £5.21 a day, £36.47 a week, £156.30 a month and £1,875.60 a year by stopping smoking.

Watch Alan's stop smoking journey with our stop smoking service. 

I really enjoy helping people and it’s great to see people doing well with their quit smoking plan – you can see in their faces that it’s given them a whole new lease of life! - George, Programme Manager

Stop smoking and start living graphic with stop smoking centre with a group of people in front

Relaunch of stop smoking pill

From 1 April 2025, the stop smoking drug Varenicline will be available from the Medway Stop Smoking Service.

A branded version of the stop smoking pill called Champix was withdrawn in 2021 as a precaution after an impurity was discovered.

The relaunched generic product, Varenicline, has now been approved as safe by the Medicines Health and Regulatory Authority.

Face to face or telephone support

You can receive face to face or telephone support from our stop smoking team.

Find out more about our face to face or telephone support

Online support

Online support includes a text only service. 

Find out more about our online support service.

Additional smoking support

You can also receive additional support if you:

Our stop smoking centres

Stop Smoking Advice Centre, Chatham

  • Address: 2 to 2a Railway Street, Chatham, ME4 4JL
  • Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4.30pm, and Saturday, 9.30am to 12.30pm.

Balmoral Gardens Healthy Living Centre, Gillingham

  • Address: Balmoral Gardens Healthy Living Centre, Balmoral Gardens, Gillingham, ME7 4PN
  • Opening hours: Wednesdays, 5pm to 7pm.

Strood Community Hall, Strood

  • Address: Strood Community Hall, 32 Bryant Road, Strood, ME2 3EP
  • Opening hours: Mondays, 5.30pm to 7pm.

Stop smoking service at select pharmacies

You can also access the stop smoking service, including our swap to stop vape offer, at the following pharmacies:

  • Bryant Road Pharmacy, Strood, ME2 3EP
  • Hobbs Pharmacy, 41 to 43 Wells Road, Strood, ME2 2PW
  • Hoo Pharmacy, 5 Main Road, Hoo, ME3 9DT
  • Karsons Pharmacy, 69 to 71 City Way, Rochester, ME1 2BA
  • Paydens Limited (Ryders), 130 High Street, Rochester, ME1 1JT
  • Paydens Limited, 134 to 136 Delce Road, Rochester, ME1 2DT
  • Asda Pharmacy, 387 Maidstone Road, Chatham, ME5 9SE
  • Delmergate Pharmacy, Shirley Avenue, Chatham, ME5 9UR
  • Fenns Chemist, 9 to 10 Walderslade Centre, Chatham, ME5 9LR
  • Karsons Pharmacy, 33 Pattens Lane, Chatham, ME4 6JR
  • Merlin Pharmacy, 54 Silverweed Road, Chatham, ME5 0QX
  • Boots, Hempstead Valley, Gillingham, ME7 3PB
  • Sunlight Pharmacy, 105 Richmond Road, Gillingham, ME7 1LX
  • Fenns Chemist, Parkwood, Rainham, ME8 9PW
  • J Spensley (Paydens), 1 Twydall Green, Gillingham, ME8 6JY
  • Medway Pharmacy, 265 Canterbury Street, Gillingham, ME7 5LJ
  • Osbon Pharmacy, 1 Railway Street, Gillingham, ME7 1XF
  • Osbon Pharmacy, 17 Duncan Road, Gillingham, ME7 4LA
  • Paydens Limited, Balmoral Gardens, Gillingham, ME7 4PN
  • Sturdee Pharmacy, 46 Sturdee Avenue, Gillingham, ME7 2HN.