This No Smoking Day (Wednesday 10 March), Calderdale Council and Yorkshire Smokefree Calderdale are encouraging smokers to quit and look forward to a more positive, smoke-free future.
The theme of national No Smoking Day 2021 is ‘Quitting smoking doesn’t have to be stressful’, focusing on the mental health benefits of stopping smoking.
National research shows that people who give up smoking are happier and less likely to feel depressed and anxious.
Lee Cunningham from Brighouse smoked on and off for 26 years. He gave up a month ago, supported by Yorkshire Smokefree Calderdale, the borough’s local stop smoking service funded by the Council to help people quit successfully. Lee says:
“After quitting smoking, I feel free. It’s like a cloud has been lifted. I feel less anxious and my confidence has increased massively. I’m also feeling the financial benefits and the extra time I’ve gained is priceless.
“The quitting experience has been a long process with plenty of hiccups, but ultimately worth it. Over the past couple of years, the input from Yorkshire Smokefree Calderdale has been amazing. They are clearly passionate about supporting people and they really care about you as an individual.
“To anyone who smokes, I would say, ‘You can only stop if you want to.’ The difficulty of quitting smoking should not be underestimated, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible.”
Deborah Harkins, Calderdale Council’s Director of Public Health, said:
“Quitting smoking is such an important way to look after your physical and mental health, and with COVID-19 still in our communities, it’s more significant than ever. Smoking damages the lungs and airways and harms the immune system, leaving smokers more vulnerable to infections like COVID-19.
“Quitting isn’t always easy, but it can be less stressful than you think if you get the right support. It will have amazing benefits for both your physical health and mental wellbeing, and will reduce the risk of severe symptoms if you catch COVID-19.”
Cllr Tim Swift, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Public Health and Cohesion, added:
“We know that many people have seen the pandemic as a good opportunity to stop smoking and are already enjoying the benefits, and that many others are trying to quit right now. Why not join them this No Smoking Day and put smoking behind you? It could be the start of a more positive, smoke-free life.
“You don’t have to do it alone – lots of free support is still available from Yorkshire Smokefree Calderdale during the pandemic.”
Jan Spence, Manager of Yorkshire Smokefree Calderdale, said:
“Stopping smoking is the single best thing you can do for yours and your family’s health. Yorkshire Smokefree offers FREE help to quit, with six out of 10 smokers successfully quitting for four weeks. Call now on 01422 262373 and get the right help today!”
Yorkshire Smokefree’s specialist advisors have helped thousands of people to give up the habit, by providing practical advice and access to medication. Support for those wanting to quit has continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with personalised online quit programmes and telephone support. Help and advice is available throughout the year.
Visit https://calderdale.yorkshiresmokefree.nhs.uk(external link) or call 01422 262373. To refer yourself, text YSF to 80800 free of charge, and Yorkshire Smokefree Calderdale will be in touch.
You can also visit www.facebook.com/ysmokefree(external link) or www.twitter.com/YSmokefree(external link)
Follow and get involved in No Smoking Day on Twitter using the hashtags: #TodayIsTheDay and #NoSmokingDay