[E]very year smoking causes around 96,000 deaths in the United Kingdom and further data reveals one person in England is admitted to hospital every minute with a smoking related illness.
Public Health England’s new Smokefree campaign uses a hard hitting TV advert to highlight the dangers of tar in cigarettes, showing how poisons from tar in cigarettes enter the bloodstream, spreading around the body within seconds and causing damage to major organs.
To support people in Cumbria to quit, local services and pharmacies are available to provide free, expert support and guidance. People who quit with the support of a stop smoking service adviser are four times more likely to successfully stop for good. Members of the public can contact Cumbria’s stop smoking service by calling 0300 013 3000, going online at po.st/HHCumbria or by dropping into a local pharmacy for a chat.
Colin Cox, Cumbria County Council’s Director of Public Health said: “We hope as many smokers as possible will see the New Year as the perfect opportunity to quit. Every cigarette a person smokes causes real harm and quitting smoking or switching to e-cigarettes is healthier for you and your family.
“People can choose what works best for them: face-to-face help, stop smoking aids, a quitting app, email, social media, and SMS support. E-cigarettes are also particularly effective when combined with support from pharmacies and people who choose this route have some of the highest quitting success rates.
“It doesn’t matter if you have tried before and it didn’t quite work out, you can access support as many times as you need. Make 2018 the year you became smoke free.”
Cllr Deborah Earl, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Community Services, said: “Our vision is to create a smoke free generation in Cumbria by 2022, to support our vision, and the national tobacco control plan, we are kick-starting our efforts by making 2018 the year when we join forces with our health partners to help Cumbria to become smoke free.
“We would like to see everyone across the public, private and third-sector pledging to do at least one thing to help people to stop smoking and help achieve our vision for a smoke free Cumbria.“
Professor John Howarth, Deputy Chief Executive at Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and GP, said: “Giving up smoking is the biggest single thing you can do to improve your health. Breathing easier is one of the first things that people notice but within just a year your risk of having a heart attack drops by half and you are likely to live longer with a much better quality of life. By working together across the health system we can support more people in Cumbria to lead healthier, smoke free lives.”
Carlisle GP Colin Patterson, Clinical Lead for Primary Care for NHS North Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “If we could encourage the next generation to truly be a smoke-free generation – making a positive decision to avoid this harmful addiction – we could make a significant difference to the lives of Cumbrians.
“Smoking is responsible for so many health problems that we see as GPs and costs our health economy a huge amount. It really is clear that smoking is bad for us as individuals and as a community. Even if you have tried to stop before, don’t be put off trying again, the health benefits when you stop are enormous.”
Smokefree provides motivation, information and free support for smokers who want to stop. Just search ‘Smokefree’ for free support and advice to help you quit smoking.
