Yorkshire Coast smokers urged to take part in Stoptober
It's the 10th year of the national mass quitting attempt campaign
Smokers on the Yorkshire Coast are being encouraged to take part in Stoptober next month.
The national campaign returns for its 10th mass quit attempt and it is calling on people to join in.
North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group says there is 47,340 smokers registered as one by their GP practices.
Scarborough GP, Dr. Peter Billingsley, who is from there, said:
"The more times you try the more successful you'll be. At any one time about 20% of people maximum will be able to stop and if you can stop for the 28 days then you'll really, really increase your chances of staying stopped.
"When I started this job, about 25% of our women on the Yorkshire Coast were smokers at the time of delivery of their children, that's now down to 12% or less. The benefits for the unborn child are huge in terms of size of the unborn child and prematurity.
"What I'd like younger people to think about if they're about to start smoking now, which a lot of young people have done during the Covid lockdown, much more than we would have liked, usually at that point are making asthma and anxiety worse.
"There's obvious real time risks that you make the situation worse for anxiety and asthma. There's longer term risks with cancer and also longer term risks with chronic lung disease. I'd like to reinforce again that anxiety is so much worse when you're a smoker because of that constant withdrawal state that you're in.
"You'll increase your chances of success if you do it with someone or if you do it alongside the NHS. Your chances of success are at least 20% if you do it in October and although most of you are going to try and stop smoking are not going to succeed this time, the more times you try the better."
Scott Crosby, Tobacco Control Programme Manager at Public Health England said:
“Since the pandemic hit we’ve seen an increase in 18 to 34 year olds taking up smoking, which is why Stoptober is as vital as ever. Now in its 10th year it’s supported over two million smokers to give quitting a go.
“Quitting smoking will not only immediately improve your physical health but also your bank balance. Research shows that if you can make it to 28 days smoke free then you are five times more likely to quit for good.
“It’s been a tough time over the pandemic for smokers. But the numbers trying to quit is up and the success rate is up. Now is the time to do it! Sign up to Stoptober and make it a success.”
Stoptober offers a range of free quitting tools including: the NHS Quit Smoking app, Facebook messenger bot, Stoptober Facebook online communities, daily emails and SMS, and an online Personal Quit Plan. The Personal Quit Plan helps people find a combination of support that is right for them, including expert support from local Stop Smoking Services and stop smoking aids.
Find out more here: https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/