- Boots dedicated to health in 2008 with the launch of innovative year-long Pharmacy campaign in the region
- Ask Your Boots Pharmacist about quitting smoking during free one-to-one consultations and carbon monoxide testing
- Impartial health advice available in convenient shopping mall locations across the GCC
Dubai: With the ban on smoking spreading swiftly throughout the GCC - there is no better time than the present to give up smoking. As a first ever for the region, the UK's number one health and beauty store responds to those who have health questions and require immediate and impartial professional advice through the new 'Ask Your Boots Pharmacists' campaign unveiled this week. Whether your reasons for quitting smoking are to improve your heart and lung health, to look and feel better or to protect those around you from the harmful effects of cigarette smoke, this campaign aims to encourage smokers to ask Boots Pharmacists any health question.
As the campaign leaps into its first month in the GCC, Boots Pharmacists will conduct free one-to-one consultations, as well as provide expert advice in an attempt to help smokers in the region give up smoking for good. The New Year is a time when many people make resolutions and think about giving up smoking, and it is known that merely seeking advice from a health care professional may increase his or her chances of quitting. It follows that the 'Ask Your Boots Pharmacist' campaign start off the year with a focus on smoking as it is a relevant and serious health issue in the GCC, with half of all adult males in the Middle East currently addicted to smoking.
Commenting on the campaign, Richard Morgan, Managing Director - Boots, MH Alshaya Co. said: "With the immediate and great success of the Ask Your Boots Pharmacist campaign in the UK, we felt it important to provide this high quality health advice to the region as soon as possible. As a trained Pharmacist and local resident, I understand that people have important and sometimes very sensitive health questions that require accessible, professional health advice. With so many choices and health products available, impartial advice is of the utmost importance and this is especially relevant around smoking cessation. We would very much like to encourage an ongoing dialogue between our customers and the Boots Pharmacist teams throughout the entire year and we hope that Ask Your Boots Pharmacist is the medium upon which these trusted relationships may flourish."
As part of the campaign throughout January, and in addition to providing year round one-to-one health consultations, Boots has partnered with Novartis Consumer Healthcare to provide a number of smoking cessation resources in-store. Most notably, throughout January, a leading smoking cessation expert will provide consultations and conduct free carbon monoxide testing from 17.00-21.00 hrs at Ibn Batutta Mall (Sundays), The Village Mall-Jumeirah (Wednesdays), Deira City Centre Mall (Thursdays) and The Mall of the Emirates (Fridays and Saturdays).
Upon entering the stores this month, smoking cessation leaflets and informative posters will be displayed and distributed to those who are interested in stubbing out for good. Leaflets on 'why you should quit smoking' featuring eight good reasons to quit may provide additional encouragement for those who are still considering giving up smoking. Information on 'getting help to stop smoking' outlines the differences between Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRT) such as gums and patches, as well as explaining how NRT can help you to quit smoking is available to take away. Interestingly, NRT has been shown to double the chances of quitting which is why this may be an important option for some people.
A dedicated Stop Smoking Questionnaire has also been developed with Novartis specifically for January's smoking cessation programme in order to assist smokers through the quitting process as well as assess a person's level of nicotine dependence. Morgan added: "Training our Pharmacist teams to provide even better customer service through the Ask Your Boots Pharmacist highlights our continued commitment to the region and differentiates us from our competitors. You can walk into any of our 26 stores to Ask Your Boots Pharmacists any health question as well as receive free health consultations and unbiased, professional advice. With over 6,000 heath and beauty products in our store, we pride ourselves in offering a comprehensive range of top health product brands as well as our own brand health products offering more variety and value for our customers."
Boots is currently open in:
UAE
Abu Dhabi
Blue Tower
Al Wahda Mall
Dubai
Ibn Battuta Mall
Al Safa Park
Mall of the Emirates
Al Wasl Maternity Hospital
Al Dhiyafah Street
Deira City Centre
The Village Mall, Jumeriah
Dubai International Financial City
Residence 1 - Burj Dubai
Kuwait
Al Manshar, Fahaheel
Awatad Tower, Kuwait City
Fashion Way
Plaza Hawally
Farwania - Habeb Al Monawer St.
Jahra2, Area 45 Al Khazaee St.
Airport Mall - Kuwait International Airport (departure level)
Awtad Centre, Jahra
Souk Sharq Mall, Gulf Road
Avenues Mall 1
Avenues Mall 2
Marina Mall
Boots Khanza, Area 96
Faih Co-Op
Qatar
Villiaggio Mall
-Ends-
About Alliance Boots:
Boots is the UK's leading international pharmacy-led health and beauty group. Boots merged with Alliance UniChem to create Alliance Boots in 2006. With an international network of approximately 3,000 retail outlets across 17 countries and a wholesale distribution network that serves over 125,000 customers, Boots recently entered the Gulf market in a partnership with the MH Alshaya Group. The leading health and beauty retailer currently has stores in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Quatar and Kuwait and has plans to expand across the GCC.
For further information, please visit www.boots.com/gcc
For further information, please contact:
Heather McPhail/Kim Pinto
ASDA'A Public Relations,
Exclusive Affiliate of Edelman PR Worldwide in Middle East and North Africa
Dubai, UAE
Tel: +971-4-3344550
Fax: +971-4-3344556
h.mcphail@asdaa.com / k.pinto@asdaa.com
Richard Morgan, Managing Director - Boots,
MH Alshaya Co
M.H. Alshaya Co.
P.O. Box 261422
Jebel Ali Free Zone
Dubai, UAE
Tel. Office: + 9714 8038724
© Press Release 2008
