Smokers across Calderdale are being urged to kick the habit during Stoptober – Public Health England’s mass challenge to quit smoking for 28 days.
The Stoptober campaign is now in its sixth year and over the years more than 1 million people have joined Stoptober to help them quit smoking.
Smokers who manage to stop for 28 days are five times more likely to stay quit for good. There are lots of ways to quit and Stoptober can help you choose what works for you. Stoptober offers a range of free support to help including an app, daily email, Facebook Messenger and lots of encouragement from the Stoptober community on Facebook. Calderdale Council is working with Yorkshire Smokefree Calderdale, Calderdale’s local stop smoking service, to support the campaign and provide face-to-face and group support which further increases the chances of quitting successfully.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Inequalities, Cllr Faisal Shoukat, said:
“There’s never been a better time to quit smoking and join the thousands of other people across the country taking part in the Stoptober challenge.
“If you’re a smoker, stopping smoking is the best thing you can do for your own health and the health of those around you. Search ‘Stoptober’ for all the support you need to make 2017 the year that you quit.”
Yorkshire Smokefree Calderdale is a specialist stop smoking service to help people quit, run by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust on behalf of the Council. There are several types of help available, from one-to-one advice to group sessions. For more information about local support, visit http://calderdale.yorkshiresmokefree.nhs.uk/(external link)
Jan Spence Manager of Yorkshire Smokefree Calderdale said:
“Stoptober is a fantastic opportunity for any person thinking of quitting smoking. We know in the Yorkshire Smokefree Calderdale that if you quit for 4 weeks with support and the right medication then you are more likely to stay stopped for good”
Some of the largest employers in Calderdale have also been encouraging participation in Stoptober, with carbon monoxide testing taking place with staff from the Council, Lloyds Banking Group plc and Covea Insurance. Carbon monoxide, found in car exhausts and used in chemicals manufacturing, is a poisonous gas and is given off when someone smokes. When breathed in, it produces a thick, fatty plaque that can cause heart disease, stroke and bad circulation. Carbon monoxide testing shows levels of the gas in the body.
Many people were shocked at the difference in the levels of carbon monoxide in smokers and non-smokers, but were reassured that by stopping smoking, carbon monoxide levels will be eliminated from the body after 24-48 hours.
Keep an eye on the Council’s twitter page @calderdale for Stoptober messages, as well as a fun short film recorded at Illingworth junior rugby club showing what local children think about smoking.
If you are a smoker or know someone who smokes and wants to know more about Stoptober take the first step and visit https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/stoptober/home(external link)