Stoptober is back - save money, improve health and boost mood

SMOKERS in Newcastle are being encouraged to give quitting another go as Stoptober returns.

As well as the single best thing for health, research shows quitting can save a 10-day-smoker around £135 a month but can also improve mood and help relieve stress, anxiety and depression.

Not smoking is now the norm but despite smoking rates being lower than ever before, 16% of people still smoke across the North East. Stoptober is back to help encourage smokers to make a quit attempt and join those who have already quit this year.

Newcastle City Council and Public Health England are encouraging all smokers to join in with the nation’s biggest quit attempt beginning on October 1^st by providing them with the support and information they need to “split up” with smoking this Stoptober.

Cllr John-Paul Stephenson, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and public health at Newcastle City Council, said: “I am pleased that Newcastle City Council is once again supporting the Stoptober campaign and encouraging smokers across the city to come together and quit.

“We have seen a huge drop in the number of Newcastle residents who smoke and our collaborative approach to eliminating smoking is clearly working.

“There is plenty of local support in Newcastle to help anyone who is trying to quit, including clinical services, peer to peer mentoring and one to one sessions. We know that by becoming part of a community or workplaces that are focusing on quitting can really help drive forward your individual quit attempt.”

Ailsa Rutter OBE, Director of Fresh, said: “The North East has seen the biggest drop in smoking in England since 2005 and we are urging anyone who smokes to just give it a go for Stoptober – you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

 “There are so many reasons to quit but at a time when we are all aware of the importance of better mental health, evidence is clear that quitting smoking can help reduce stress, anxiety and depression and improve positive mood.”

To get your quit attempt underway, search for Stoptober online, visit https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/for-your-body/quit-smoking/stoptober/ or contact Newcastle Stop Smoking Service on 0191 269 1103 / 07809 105 837 for text messages.

Fresh will also be encouraging people to quit smoking with the Stoptober roadshow out and about in town centres and supermarkets (see list in notes to editors).

Stoptober has supported over 1.9 million people on their quit journey to date – if a smoker can make it to 28 days smokefree, they are five times more likely to quit for good. Stoptober’s free quitting support includes the Stoptober app, Facebook messenger bot, daily emails, a Personal Quit Plan and Stoptober online communities.

Research has shown that while many smokers want to quit, they face common barriers including procrastination and a fear of failure. Smokers can get expert face-to-face  support from local stop smoking services, and those who do are three times as likely to quit successfully as those who try to quit using willpower alone.

Additionally, GPs and pharmacists can also give advice and tips to help smokers quit, including what stop smoking aids might be right for them. Support from family and friends is also an important factor in quitting smoking, and these networks are encouraged to support a smoker as they split up with smoking.

Dr Rosemary Leonard said: “We know it can be hard to give up smoking but now is the time to give it a try, whether it’s the first time or you’ve tried before. The Stoptober community can really help with motivation and staying on track. Additional support is also available from a variety of places including local stop smoking services, GPs, pharmacies and of course, the Stoptober and NHS Smokefree websites. Quitting smoking is the best thing a smoker can do for their health — Stoptober is a brilliant chance to quit with others for 28 days and see the benefits for yourself. If you’re a non-smoker, use this chance to support a loved one as they split up with smoking this Stoptober.”