Stoptober is a great opportunity to encourage smokers to make a quit attempt and help them sustain it throughout October and beyond.
Now in its 11th year, Stoptober is built on evidence that if a smoker can quit for 28 days, they are five times more likely to quit for good.
While Stoptober is aimed at all smokers nationally, this year the campaign is targeting smokers aged 25 to 50 from lower socio-economic groups who work in routine and manual jobs.
The focus of the campaign is ‘You’ve got what it takes to quit this Stoptober’; encouraging smokers to quit not only by promoting the benefits of quitting, but also to give them confidence that they can quit successfully.
Liz McDonald, a stop smoking advisor based at the Cumberland Infirmary, said: “It is never too late to quit. If you can stop smoking you will live longer and feel better. It does not matter how old you are or how long you have smoked for.
“Smoking can affect every part of the body from your skin to your brain. It causes heart attacks, strokes and cancer. Smokers live on average 10 years less than non-smokers.”
“If you stop smoking you will feel better, live longer and have more money to spend on things.”
Those making a quit attempt can access the free support tools available on the Better Health - Quit Smoking website.
Smoking facts
· Smoking causes 16 types of cancer including lung cancer, COPD, diabetes, heart attack and stroke. 1 in every 2 smokers will die from a tobacco-related disease.
· The benefits of stopping smoking can be noticed immediately, with the pulse rate returning to normal after 20 minutes. After 10 years, the risk of lung cancer falls to half that of a smoker.
· Stopping smoking can improve your mental health, as well as your physical health and can leave you feeling less stressed and anxious within as little as six weeks.
· It is never too late to quit smoking. Even if you’ve tried before, the benefits begin at any age.
· Don’t be put off by previous quit attempts. It can take smokers many tries before they stop for good.
· Support to stop smoking is available for you no matter how busy your schedule, even if your work patterns are irregular.