Smokers in Stone are being urged to quit by joining forces with friends and family as part of next month’s Stoptober campaign.
Latest figures show around 16% of Staffordshire’s adults smoke. Public Health England is urging residents to sign up together for the 28-day mass quit attempt, as research shows people are more likely to succeed if a friend or family member stops as well.
This year, Stoptober will be providing quitters with a personal touch from some of the nation’s leading comedians – Bill Bailey, Rhod Gilbert (pictured above), Al Murray and Shappi Khorsandi. Quitters will receive messages of encouragement and support on their phones and in their email inboxes throughout October.
Last year, almost 3,000 people in Staffordshire signed up for the challenge, the highest number in the West Midlands.
Alan White, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Care and Wellbeing, said: “The long term chronic impact of smoking on people’s health and quality of life is well documented, but smoking also costs society too. Not just through the effect of people seeing their loved ones suffer in later life, but in terms of the enormous costs to the NHS for smoking-related healthcare. We know kicking the habit can be very difficult, but we would urge everyone thinking of quitting to give it a go by signing up for Stoptober with a friend this year.”
Staffordshire residents looking to give up smoking can now do so with help from a new one stop advice service. The Healthy Staffordshire Hub provides information, advice and guidance on a range of heath-related topics such as stopping smoking, cutting down on alcohol consumption, achieving a healthy weight, healthy eating and leading an active lifestyle.
People can access the support by calling 0300 111 8006
During Stoptober, people can go online, and simply search for ‘Stoptober’, to sign up for the 28-day challenge. There are a range of support tools to choose from, including email, text and an app.
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