A Calderdale resident is lending his support to Yorkshire and Humber’s first quit smoking campaign developed and filmed in the region.
After smoking for over 20 years, Roy, aged 45 from Brighouse, realised the impact it was having on his health and decided he wanted to break his addiction. He is urging the 14,900 smokers in Calderdale to quit too. [1]
Roy said: “I feel much better, and I have more energy since quitting. I also used to think that smoking helped me cope with my anxiety, but I now know that smoking increases stress and anxiety, so I’ve learnt to manage it in other ways.
“My advice to anyone who is thinking about quitting is get support from your local stop smoking service as they really helped me find the right way to quit. Believe in yourself, do it at your own pace and keep trying. If I can do it, so can you.”
Roy’s plea coincides with the launch of the ‘Turn the Corner’ campaign which features mother and daughter, Wendy and Amy Robinson, from Yorkshire and Humber who have both successfully quit smoking after Wendy lost her mum to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Turn the Corner is a collaborative campaign being coordinated by the Centre for Excellence in conjunction with all 15 local authorities across Yorkshire and Humber and Yorkshire Cancer Research, who are committed to reducing smoking and protecting local communities from the harms of tobacco.
The campaign, which launches this week and was filmed in the region, will run across TV, radio and social media, with a powerful message that every cigarette takes 20 minutes off your life [2].
Calderdale Council’s Director of Public Health, Debs Harkins, said:
“Smoking can have a devastating effect on your health and the health of those around you. This new regional campaign highlights the harm that can be caused by smoking, but also that a healthier, smoke-free life is always possible and it’s never too late to ‘turn the corner’ and start the journey to quit.
“Quit rates among people accessing local stop-smoking services are higher than average. There’s lots of support available in Calderdale, with a range of options to suit everyone. Whenever you decide to quit, you’re not on your own.”
Dr Farrukh Javid, Lead GP for Cancer Care in Calderdale said:
“There are profound health benefits from stopping smoking, and I always advise patients that they are three times more likely to succeed with expert support. Please make the most of the specialist resources provided by our local service to give you the best chance possible of achieving a smoke-free future.”
Tony Graham, Director of Retail, Services and Operations at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said:
“It’s well known that smoking is strongly linked to lung cancer, but it is also a cause of at least 15 other types of cancer. As well as kidney cancer, smoking can lead to cancers of the mouth, throat, oesophagus, bladder, liver, pancreas, stomach, bowel, ovary, cervix, breast and, in some cases, even leukaemia.
“It remains the biggest preventable cause of cancer worldwide, and its impact can often span generations when children grow up seeing smoking as part of everyday life. Wendy and Amy’s experiences show both the profound harm caused by tobacco and the powerful difference that quitting can make, not only for an individual’s health, but for the health and future of their family.
“Even after a cancer diagnosis, stopping smoking can significantly improve how well treatments work, support better recovery, increase the likelihood of survival and reduce the risk of cancer coming back. By standing alongside our partners in this campaign, we hope more people across Yorkshire and Humber will feel supported and encouraged to take a step towards a longer, healthier life.”
In Calderdale there are a range of stop-smoking options to suit everyone. These include:
- In person: Regular face-to-face meetings with an advisor and regular carbon monoxide readings to help you chart your progress
- On the phone: Regular phone calls with an advisor to support you on your journey to becoming smoke free.
- Online Quit plan: this is an online personal action plan taking you through the stages of preparing to stop; stopping and staying stopped. Having a plan makes it easier to stop and it’s easy to access the online booklet and complete a short form to set you on your way
- Video calls: If you can’t attend in person but would like some one-to-one support then this can be done via a video link.
Yorkshire Smokefree offers up to 12 weeks free support with medication such as nicotine replacement products, licensed stop smoking medications and vapes to help you beat your addiction. Visit https://calderdale.yorkshiresmokefree.nhs.uk/(external link) to find out more.
If you live in Yorkshire and Humber, you can get six months access to all features on the Smoke Free app for free, including nicotine replacement medication as part of the campaign, worth up to £300. Find out more at https://yestoquit.co.uk/(external link)
Get in touch with your free, local stop smoking service here https://calderdale.yorkshiresmokefree.nhs.uk/(external link).