Stoptober campaign gears up with support advice

Public Health England (PHE) is encouraging people to join in the national Stoptober campaign to quit smoking, but advises that the right stop smoking support is essential.

Nearly 400,000 smokers in England quit successfully asa year alone, meaning that there are now one million fewer smokers in England than four years ago. However, of the 6.1 million smokers in England, 60 per cent hope to do so ‘cold turkey’, relying on their own willpower and ignoring advice to use a combination of effective stop smoking support methods, which has proven most successful.

In 2017 to 2018, 51 per cent of smokers who combined local stop smoking services together with stop smoking aids managed to quit and among those who used an e-cigarette in their quit attempt, the success rate was up to 63 per cent.

As part of this year’s Stoptober campaign, PHE is offering a free online ‘Personal Quit Plan’ to help smokers find the right stop smoking support for them. Stoptober is based on research that if you can make it to 28 days smokefree, you are five times more likely to quit for good.

Jenny Harries, Deputy Medical Director at PHE, 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 to in the past.

“This year, Stoptober can help you find a combination that could work for you. We predict that thousands of smokers will quit every day over the next 10 years – I urge smokers not to get left behind for the benefit of their health. Join in, find your best way to quit and start your 28-day journey to becoming smokefree.”

Steve Brine, Public Health Minister added: “Millions of people are living healthier lives as a result of our efforts to reduce smoking rates. Britain is a global leader on tobacco control and our robust policies mean smoking rates have fallen to record lows. But we are not complacent – we know we must do all we can to keep encouraging smokers to quit for good. Quitting altogether is the single best thing a smoker can do for their health — Stoptober is a brilliant chance to go smoke-free for 28 days and see the benefits for yourself.”