MORE than 90 pregnant women or their partners have been referred to a new stop smoking service in Worcestershire.

One to one behavioural and motivational support is being provided by three new advisors who work with maternity teams to help mums to be and their partners quit the habit as part of a new service launched in September.

Within the first month, the service saw 92 referrals from midwives across the county.

This includes mums as well as partners who recognise the harm passive smoking can have on an unborn baby.

The new advisors can offer free nicotine replacement therapy alongside practical help and support to stop smoking.

Worcestershire County Council says the general rate of smoking in Worcestershire has declined year on year but there are a small number who continue to smoke.

Of those, some are pregnant women, and there are concerns about the number of women still being smokers at the time of giving birth.

In Wyre Forest, that figure is 17.8 per cent, in Redditch and Bromsgrove it’s 11 per cent, and in South Worcestershire the figure is 9.6 per cent.

Cabinet member for health and well-being, Councillor John Smith, said: “This service supports the Better Births national strategy to improve outcomes for babies. It is an excellent way of helping support pregnant women and their households as they improve their health and the health of their babies.”

To find out more, visit worcestershire.gov.uk/stopsmoking.