With just under a week to go until No Smoking Day on Wednesday 14 March, smokers in North Tyneside are being urged to give quitting a go - and try to quit at least once a year until they stop for good.
The call comes as new figures suggest smokers in the North East are making more successful quit attempts than elsewhere in the country.
The figures come from the Smoking Toolkit Study from University College London, which shows that in the past 10 years in the North East, around 18.3% of people who tried to quit smoking were still not smoking, compared with 15.7% of people nationally[i]. The figures for 2017 were 19.7% versus 17.7%.
Fresh is also encouraging North Tyneside smokers who’ve struggled to quit so far to consider switching completely to an e-cigarette – significantly less harmful than smoking and now the most popular way to quit smoking in the UK. Whether or not smokers use an e-cigarette they are strongly advised to get support from their local Stop Smoking Service.
Ailsa Rutter, Director of Fresh, said: “We are urging smokers to never give up on quitting. It is great to see the figures showing smokers in the North East have a better chance at quitting – and we have had the biggest fall in smoking since 2005, but we’re also suggesting some of the most effective ways to stop.
“Some people do manage to quit first time – but for most it takes many attempts. Don’t get disheartened if you didn’t quit first time, and don’t tell yourself you can’t do it. You can come back more determined and better prepared next time.”
Cllr Margaret Hall, Cabinet member for Public Health and Wellbeing at North Tyneside Council, said: “No Smoking Day is a great opportunity for smokers to have a specific date on which to focus their quit attempt. Even if smokers have tried quitting before but not been successful, there’s lots of support and practical advice available.”
Jonah Morris, 38, from Whitley Bay, said: “I always knew that smoking was bad for your health, but it wasn’t until I found out that I was going to be a dad for the first time, that I found a real motivation for me to quit.
“I was referred to my local stop smoking service following an ante-natal appointment with my wife Katherine. When the nurse explained to me the dangers of second hand smoke to babies, it really shocked me and I knew from that moment that I had to make a clean break from smoking for the sake of my baby’s health.
“The dangers of second hand smoke really underline the reasons I gave up – I didn’t want to put my children’s health at risk from them breathing in air in that contained poisons.”
The Smoking Toolkit study is co-ordinated by Prof Robert West, Professor of Health Psychology and Director of Tobacco Studies, University College London.
Prof West said: “Every smoker should have a go at stopping smoking at least once a year and No Smoking Day is a great opportunity to do this. Our research tells us that the best chance of success is by doing it all in one go rather than by trying to cut down gradually, and to use the Local Stop Smoking Service.
“The North East has seen a higher quit success rate. If we can encourage more smokers in the North East to have a go at stopping we could see huge reductions in smoking rates.”
Some of the ways to quit Fresh is recommending include:
- Stop Smoking Services – with expert specialist help smokers are up to four times more likely to quit.
- Switching to e-cigarettes. There is growing evidence that e-cigarettes can help people stop smoking and using an e-cigarette can help you manage your nicotine cravings [i]. E-cigs are estimated to be 95% less harmful than smoking[ii]. Refillable “tank” system e-cigarettes are regarded as more effective and end up being cheaper than the discardable ones that look like cigarettes. Specialist e-cigarette retailers can provide advice.[iii]
- Using a quitting cessation aid like nicotine patches or a stop smoking medicine such as Champix[iv]. Cigarettes contain nicotine which your body becomes dependent on. Stop smoking medicines can help you manage withdrawal symptoms. Most health problems are caused by other components in tobacco smoke, not by the nicotine.
- Ask your GP or pharmacist.
- Get support from family and friends – their support can go a long way. If your partner smokes, why not quit together?
- There are a range of tools online such as the Smokefree App, email and text support from NHS Smokefree, or call the National Smokefree Helpline on 0300 123 1044.
For support and advice on quitting smoking in North Tyneside call the local stop smoking service on: 0191 643 7171 or visit: https://www.activenorthtyneside.org.uk/stop-smoking/
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