DENTISTS and opticians in Merseyside are being trained to help people give up smoking.
Addicted patients in Knowsley will be given advice and information during the course of their appointment.
The scheme, run by the borough’s Primary Care Trust, is aimed at smokers who would not visit their GP to get information on kicking the habit, but may benefit from advice.
Smoking can damage both oral health and vision.
It can lead to mouth cancer and gum disease, and is thought to be a contributing factor to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of preventable blindness.
Other frontline NHS and social care staff will also be able to get the training.
Dr Diana Forrest, director of public health in Knowsley, said: “These people are in a prime position to see residents who may not necessarily access GP services, and therefore not know other factors associated with smoking.”
