Ready Steady Stop: smokers across Shropshire urged to quit for Stoptober

Smokers across Shropshire are being urged to quit smoking for 28 days as part this year’s Stoptober campaign.

The Public Health England campaign, supported by Shropshire Council’s public health team, starts on Tuesday 1 October 2013 and runs for 28 days.

The public health team is encouraging smokers across the county to sign up to the Stoptober campaign which gives smokers a detailed step-by-step programme to support them in their smokefree attempt.

Stoptober offers a range of free support including:

• a new stop smoking pack
• a 28-day mobile phone app and text support with daily updates and quitting advice
• detailed tools and tips for coping, as well as the encouragement and support from thousands of people quitting together, through Stoptober social media.

Smoking remains the nation’s biggest killer, with half of long-term smokers dying prematurely from a smoking-related disease.  It is estimated that there are almost 45,000 smokers in Shropshire aged 18 years or above (18% of the adult population). 

New research shows the extra years of life that can be gained by giving up smoking and staying smokefree.  Someone who quits smoking for Stoptober, and doesn’t smoke again, could gain an extra seven days of life, every 28 days, for the rest of their life.

The Stoptober campaign returns following the success of thousands of quitters across the country last year, which saw 160,000 people complete the challenge.  During 2012, the NHS Stop Smoking Services in Shropshire helped 2,358 people in the county successfully quit smoking.

Those who stop smoking for 28 days and longer will begin to experience financial, physical and health benefits, including better sense of taste and smell and a reduced risk of lung cancer and heart disease.  Along with the health benefits, quitting saves the average smoker over £150 a month and almost £2,000 a year.[1]  During last year’s Stoptober campaign, a staggering £25 million was saved by the 160,000 people from not buying cigarettes.

Karen Calder, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for health, said:

“Stopping smoking is the best thing you can do for your health and the health of those around you.  Campaigns such as Stoptober are vital, as many of those who want to quit often feel they don’t have the support to do this.  Stoptober provides a great opportunity for smokers in Shropshire who are serious about stopping this Autumn, to quit together.  I really encourage every smoker to take this challenge and join the thousands of people who are feeling the benefits from stopping smoking last year. 

“Not only will you see the benefits to your health but also the financial benefits too.  If you can stop smoking for 28 days, you are five times more likely to stay quit, so please have a go, by stopping with Stoptober.”

Linda Offord, programme lead – tobacco control at Shropshire Council’s public health team, added:

“There are various ways to quit smoking, as well as encouraging people to sign up to the Stoptober campaign; we would also encourage people to seek the expert help and support of the NHS Stop Smoking Service.  Our local service, Help 2 Quit, has multiple sites across Shropshire to help people stay smokefree for life, and is one of the most effective ways to help people give up.” 

For more information and to join the biggest stop smoking challenge of its kind, search ‘Stoptober’ online or visit www.smokefree.nhs.uk/Stoptober.  You can also join in the campaign on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NHSSmokefree and twitter at https://twitter.com/stoptober or search #Stoptober.

If you would like help to stop smoking contact Help2Quit, your local NHS stop smoking service on 01743 366940; email Help2Quit@shropcom.nhs.uk or visit www.shropscommunityhealth.nhs.uk. 

Further information 

• Half of all smokers die as a result of smoking; this is the single biggest cause of premature death, taking more than 100,000 lives in the UK and costing the NHS up to £2.7bn each year.
• Stoptober was launched in 2012 and was the first mass quit attempt of its kind encouraging the UK’s 8 million smokers to stop smoking for 28 days.
• Campaigns such as Stoptober, along with the support provided by local stop smoking services, play a huge role in helping people to stop.  Whilst smoking prevalence across the country as a whole is falling steadily, it remains high in some parts and is still the biggest cause of premature death with more than 80,000 deaths in England every year.
• To encourage people to sign up and order their packs, ultra-marathon runner and ex forty-a-day smoker Rory Coleman will be running 28 miles a day for 28 days in a row across England and Wales.  As part of Rory’s challenge he will be pushing the giant red Stoptober wheel with the help of local armed forces representatives and members of the public across the West Midlands, arriving in  Stoke-on-Trent on 26 September then moving on to Birmingham on 27 September.

Shropshire facts and statistics (Source: Shropshire Health of Young People Survey 2008)

• Around a third of pupils (33.7%) report living in a household with someone who is a smoker
• There appears to be a relationship between living with a smoker and pupils’ own smoking behaviour.  Those who live with smokers are significantly more likely to be regular smokers themselves (9.6% compared with 5.5%)
• It is estimated that there are almost 45,000 smokers in Shropshire aged 18 years or above (18% of the adult population).