Staffordshire Council helping people quit smoking ahead of 'Stoptober'
The county has been among those with the highest number of smokers in recent years
Smokers in Staffordshire are being encouraged to quit by the County Council during next month's 'Stoptober', a national campaign that has helped two million smokers attempt to quit.
The Council's Public Health Team are working with the organisation 'Everyone Health Staffordshire' to offer support for smokers in the region aged 40 and over.
Smokers seeking to quit will have access to free telephone support sessions, face-to-face and virtual appointments, medication and advice on managing cravings.
A nationwide survey of 2,000 current smokers released by the Stoptober campaign found that 45% have been smoking since lockdown began, with the primary reasons being boredom and anxiety.
Though it is now estimated that only 12% of adults in Staffordshire smoke, the county has been among those with the highest number of smokers in recent years.
Data from Smoke Free Future shows that, in 2019, 15.7% of people in the Staffordshire Moorlands constituency smoked.
This ranked the region as 449 out of 632 in terms how well constituencies were performing by not smoking.
Stoke North had a proportion of 17.4% of smokers in 2019, while Stoke South had a greater percentage of 18.2%, which placed the constituency as joint 579th worst.
Great Yarmouth was one of the worst affected regions with a smoker rate of 23.4%, putting the area at 631 out of 632.
Cllr Julia Jessel, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Care said:
“We know that quitting isn’t easy but with the right support it can be done. That’s why we have teamed up with Everyone Health Staffordshire to provide that extra advice.
I’d like to remind people that they’re not on their own and urge them to get in touch with the service.”
Emma Costello quit smoking after receiving support from Everyone Health Staffordshire:
“I’d been smoking for 25 years but since I’ve quit, I’ve noticed real improvements in my health", she said.
"I’m no longer coughing and I went back to the gym and was able to do things a lot easier. I’ve also realised that I have managed to save over £1000 since quitting, which I’m going to use to treat myself to a holiday in the future or a new car."