Smokers are being asked ‘is it worth it?’ as Stoptober returns

Stoptober is just around the corner and NHS Yorkshire Smokefree are reminding you that the cigarettes aren’t worth it and it’s time to quit for good.

Stoptober has driven over one million quit attempts to date and it’s the biggest mass quit attempt in the country. If you can stop smoking for 28 days, you’re 5 times more likely to stay smokefree for good. 

Everyone knows the dangers of smoking on their health and those around them, but are the serious effects worth it? 

• Cigarette smoke is responsible for nearly one fifth of all new cancer cases every year and causes 27% of all cancer deaths in the UK.
• Smoking damages your heart and blood circulation, increasing your risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
• 25% of smokers will develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an incurable and chronic lung disease.
• About half of all life-long smokers will die prematurely, losing on average about 10 years of life.

Smoking causes horrible damage to your body and those people around you. As soon as you stop smoking you will start to feel the health benefits after 20 minutes and after 10 years your risk of a heart attack will fall to that of a non-smoker.

NHS Yorkshire Smokefree is encouraging as many smokers as possible to quit smoking from 1^st October by reminding them that smoking is just not worth it.

It’s estimated that of the 6.1 million smokers in England, 6 in 10 want to quit but are not aware of the free support that is available to them.

NHS Yorkshire Smokefree hosts clinics across Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley, Wakefield and Calderdale helping thousands of smokers quit smoking for good each year. Signing up to quit smoking with NHS Yorkshire Smokefree allows you to access a range of support, medication and nicotine placement therapies. You’re 4 times more likely to succeed in quitting with the help of NHS Yorkshire Smokefree, compared to going ‘cold turkey’.

Smokers can also access stop smoking support online by visiting www.nhs.uk/oneyou/stoptober and accessing your ‘Personal Quit Plan’.

Last year, nearly 400,00 smokers in England quit smoking successfully, which is the equivalent to 1,069 smokers each day. Despite new smokers starting and ex-smokers relapsing, there are now 1 million fewer smokers in England since 2014.

Dr Jenny Harries, Deputy Medical Director at Public Health England, said:

“There are many different types of stop smoking support available, so it can be difficult for a smoker to know what will work best for them. The important thing is not to be put off trying to quit even if you have not managed it in the past.”

Simon Lister, Service Manager for Yorkshire Smokefree Barnsley and Doncaster, said:

“Stoptober is a great opportunity for smokers to quit and the most successful way to do this is with support from their local NHS stop smoking service. Yorkshire Smokefree offer free expert support and free nicotine replacement products, giving smokers a better a chance of quitting and staying quit compared to those who use willpower alone. Yorkshire Smokefree are proud to provide flexible support to suit each individual so please do get in touch if you’re wanting to quit smoking. You can call us on 0800 612 0011 or search for Yorkshire Smokefree.”

Getting support and making an appointment with NHS Yorkshire Smokefree couldn’t be easier:

• Call 0800 612 0011 (free from any landline).
• Call 0330 660 1166 (free from most mobiles).
• Enter your details at https://yorkshiresmokefree.nhs.uk/pages/callback-request and a stop smoking adviser will call you back.