Go on, give up smoking and reward yourself with PruHealth!

For many people the smoking ban that comes into effect on 1 July 2007 does not a come moment too soon.

However, for those still struggling with the idea of a smoke-free England, innovative private medical insurer, PruHealth, is reminding both its members and consumers more generally that it can help its members give up by offering access to discounted Allen Carr smoking cessation courses - PruHealth members who attend pay £49, rather than the £220 retail price.

Smoking kills an estimated 114,000 people a year in Great Britain and is the single greatest cause of illness and premature death as well as making you more susceptible to cardiovascular diseases. As well as the negative effects on your health and wellbeing, smoking also has a significant impact on your wallet, with a 20-a-day habit costing as much as £1,825 a year.

PruHealth’s Vitality scheme rewards members for looking after their health. Members earn points for engaging in healthy activities and depending on how many points they earn - and whether they make any claims - PruHealth could give them between 25 to 100 per cent of the cost of their current year's cover off their renewal premium. Allen Carr is just one of a number of health and wellbeing partners that PruHealth has teamed up with to offer discounts to members who want to stay healthy.

Dr Chris Dark, Medical Director at PruHealth said: “The ban on smoking in enclosed places provides the perfect opportunity for smokers to try to give up as they will no longer be able to have a cigarette in a social situation such as a pub, coffee shop or a staffroom.

“By giving up smoking you can dramatically increase your life-expectancy, for example, a 30-year-old smoker can currently expect to live until they are 65 whereas a 30-year-old non-smoker can expect to live until they are 83.

“At PruHealth our approach is to reward people for taking positive steps to improve their health and remove barriers to them achieving that where possible, including subsidising smoking cessation with ‘Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking’ Clinic. In addition to being able to attend the clinic for an excellent price, members are also awarded 150 Vitality points for completion of the course. With this in mind and with the ban just around the corner, now seems an opportune time to give up smoking and make the most of the health benefits offered by PruHealth.”