October becomes ‘Stoptober’ as smokers urged to consider quitting

The Stoptober campaign takes place this month, encouraging people to attempt to quit smoking.

The annual event promotes the support that is available to stop smoking and calls upon smokers to stub out cigarettes once and for all.

Smoking is the number one cause of preventable death across England, resulting in more deaths than the next five causes - obesity, alcohol, road traffic accidents, drug abuse and HIV infection – combined, and is a huge driver of health inequalities.

In Lancashire and South Cumbria, 14.5 per cent of adults smoke – which is higher than the national average (12.7 per cent).

To combat this, Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Cumbria and Lancashire Public Health Collaborative last year launched the LSC Smoke-Free Strategy, aiming to eliminate smoking in our region by 2030.

Trevor Morris, the ICB’s Treating Tobacco Dependency programme manager, said: “Some of the harms of smoking are well-known, but many people may not be aware of the long-term or knock-on effects of smoking.

“It doesn’t matter whether it is an occasional cigarette or smoking habitually, each time you smoke is harmful. It will increase your blood pressure and heart rate, it leads to an increase in blood clots, it can cause significant damage to your stomach, skin, mouth and throat, bones, brain and, of course, your lungs – dramatically increasing the risk of COPD and cancer. It heightens the likelihood of stroke, heart attack and even has an impact on reproduction and fertility.

“There are no health benefits, and it creates a big problem for the NHS - that is why we need to remove smoking entirely from society.”

For this year’s Stoptober campaign – running throughout October – the ICB, along with its public health partners in local authorities, is highlighting the support that is available to help people quit.

The national NHS website www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking has various resources, including tips, myths and facts, a guide on how to support somebody to quit, and a directory to search all the groups and local offers where you live.

Smokers can also access a free NHS Quit Smoking app that allows you to track your progress, see how much you’re saving and get daily support.

Mr Morris added: “The sooner you quit smoking, the more you are likely to feel the benefits. You can feel the improvement within a couple of days, and in the long-term, your body will start to repair the damage and reduce the risks of smoking-related diseases.

“If you can make it to 28 days smoke-free, you're five times more likely to quit for good.”