Quit smoking this Stoptober

This year marks the 10th anniversary of STOPTOBER, a national campaign to encourage smokers to join a mass attempt to quit smoking during October. Over the last ten years a staggering 2.3million smokers in England have made this quit attempt.

Since the pandemic began, studies have shown an increase in younger people smoking as well as an increase in the numbers of cigarettes smoked by current smokers. Over 6 million adults in England still smoke, and it remains the leading cause of premature death and preventable death in this country.

This year’s Stoptober mass quit attempt is more important than ever, with quitting remaining one of the best things a smoker can do for their health, their mental health and their finances!

• The health benefits of quitting smoking can be felt almost immediately. After 20 minutes your pulse will start to return to normal, after just 3 days your breathing will already feel easier and your energy levels will be increasing. In as little as a year, your risk of heart attack will have halved compared with a smoker’s and at 10 years your risk of lung cancer will have halved also.
• Stopping smoking not only improves your physical health but also isto boost your mental health and wellbeing. Quitting can improve mood, and help relieve stress, anxiety and depression.
• Quitting smoking will save the average smoker in England a staggering £1875 per year!

Stoptober offers a range of free quitting tools including: the NHS Quit Smoking app, Facebook messenger bot, Stoptober Facebook online communities, daily emails and SMS, and an online Personal Quit Plan. The Personal Quit Plan helps people find a combination of support that’s right for them, including expert support from local Stop Smoking Services and stop smoking aids. See the Better Health website and Stoptober website for more details.

KAMP (Kennet and Avon Medical Partnership) are supporting smokers to make a quit attempt during Stoptober, adding extra stop-smoking sessions throughout the month. Specially trained Stop-Smoking nurses offer a one-to-one support service which includes a series of telephone calls, support and encouragement and even prescribed medicine where appropriate. Please call for more information on 01672 512187/ 569990.