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NHS and Public Health
Liverpool urge smokers to give up this Stoptober
LIVERPOOL smokers are being urged to sign up to Stoptober with friends,
family and colleagues to boost chances of quitting. The Stoptober
campaign calls on smokers to sign up together; as research shows they are
67% more likely to quit if their partner also stops smoking, and 36% more
likely to quit if a friend stops. By signing up to Stoptober quitters will
get humorous supportive messages from some of the nation's top comedians;
Bill Bailey, Al Murray, Shappi Khorsandi and Rhod Gilbert. Combining
online support from comedians with a smoker's 'real world'
social groups can help increase their chances of getting through 28 days
smokefree. Over a ¼ of a million people across the country signed up to
Stoptober last year with more than half making it to 28 days. This year it
is expected the campaign will welcome the millionth sign up.
Dr
Sandra Davies, Liverpool's Director of Public Health, said:- "Signing
up to quit smoking is singularly the best thing you can do for you and your
family's health. We know that the vast majority of smokers in Liverpool are
keen to give up and our message is that there is lots of support to help
with this, ranging from Stoptober through to our local services like Roy
Castle FagEnds and our local pharmacies across the City. If you have
tried unsuccessfully to stop smoking before, don't be put off, give it
another go, and join the thousands of people across the city signing up to Stoptober.
By stopping smoking for 28 days you are 5 times more likely to stop for
good."
Lisa Williams, Service Manager for Roy Castle FagEnds, said:- "Giving
up smoking can be very difficult and we know it often takes more than 1
attempt for people to break the habit. The good news is that if you quit
smoking for 4 weeks then we know you have a much greater chance of quitting
for good. FagEnds is here to support people throughout Stoptober and on into
the future, so even if you've tried to quit before and not managed it yet,
you shouldn't give up on giving up."
Roy Castle FagEnds has supported over 100,000 smokers in Liverpool through
their quit attempt, with over ½ of those successfully giving up. It provides
a variety of free support, including group and 1 to 1 sessions with trained
advisors and medication such as patches, inhalators and Champix that can
support people in quitting. Also available is support for people looking to
give up e-cigarettes, as well as traditional tobacco. In 2014, a total
of 7,028 people in the city got support to quit smoking through Roy Castle
Fag Ends, and just over half (51%) were successful. Over a ¼ of a million
people across the country signed up to Stoptober last year with more than
half making it to 28 days. This year it is expected the campaign will
welcome the millionth sign up.
Professor Kevin Fenton, Director of Health and Wellbeing for Public Health
England said:- "Stoptober will be providing people with more engaging
and personalised support than ever. Along with receiving proven advice and
support, participants this year will get encouragement every day from some
of the best comedians in the country to help them through 28 days smokefree.
The benefits of stopping smoking are almost immediate: quitters will soon
see reduced blood pressure, easier breathing and better circulation. It is
one of the best things a person can do to improve their health and reduce
their chances of developing long term conditions and dying prematurely. Sign
up today and get ready to start your quitting journey with our support on 1
October 2015."
Rhod Gilbert who is supporting this year's campaign says:- "I smoked
for about 25 years and probably spent 23 of those trying to quit, trying
everything you can think of to kick the habit. I know first hand that it can
be hard to find the motivation to quit, but Stoptober is the perfect time to
give it a go. Not only will you be joining thousands of others taking part,
you'll also have exclusive support from myself, Bill Bailey, Shappi
Khorsandi and the Pub Landlord, as well as access to lots of other help
along the way. My advice to those taking on Stoptober would be to take the
28 days 1 day at a time."
By
signing up to Stoptober, participants can choose from a range of free
support tools including daily emails and text messages from the comedians
throughout the 28 day quit attempt as well as a mobile phone app which
includes lots more tips and advice; all of which have shown to increase the
chances of staying "smokefree".
This year's campaign also coincides with new legislation in England and
Wales making it illegal to smoke in a vehicle with someone under 18.
To
sign up to the nation's biggest mass quit attempt, searching for Stoptober
online.
People who want to use Roy Castle FagEnds can call:- 0800 195 2131. The
helpline is open from 9.30am to 7pm, Monday to Friday. To find out which
pharmacies offer stop smoking support contact Health Promotion on:- 0151 295
3256, on weekdays 9am to 5pm.
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