This Christmas, the European Commission has taken it upon itself to help family and friends give the gift of life to smokers that they care about: quitting smoking for good.

Through its campaign themed Ex-smokers Are Unstoppable, the Commission aims to show smokers the many positive ways in which quitting smoking can improve their lives.

It is not only about being fitter and saving money, the promoters say, ex-smokers enjoy benefits as diverse as improved taste buds and being more confident. And there is even more, they point out: “Do you think it’s the smokers or the ex-smokers getting the kisses under the mistletoe this Christmas? Ex-smokers experience more in their smoke-free lives.”

Admittedly, Christmas can be a particularly tough time to finally give up cigarettes. For this is the time for parties, catching up with friends and having fun and the many social occasions provide a multitude of tempting smoking situations.

The European Commission wanted to provide a solution that gives practical advice and support that helps smokers to achieve their goal of a smoke-free life. It came up with iCoach, an online tool that provides personalised support to guide smokers through a step-by-step process to get them to their end goal: a smoke-free life.

Regular e-mail contact and an active, supportive web forum help those registered to find the help that they need to become smoke-free. Each country also has its own “Unstoppable” Facebook page, where those trying to quit can post stories of their successes and seek inspiration when they are finding it hard to stay away from cigarettes.

Over 150,000 people have registered with iCoach and the Commission says that 41 per cent of those who register manage to quit smoking within three months.

In Malta there are an estimated 103,243 smokers, 1,410 of whom have already registered on iCoach.

Visit www.exsmokers.eu to sign up to the free programme.