Barnsley residents urged to have a smoke free New Year

We all know smoking is bad for our health, but did you realise how bad it was for your bank balance? Someone who smokes 20 cigarettes a day will spend more than 40 thousand pounds over the next 20 years on cigarettes alone!

With the help of your local NHS stop smoking service you can quit the habit for good and within a few weeks you’ll already notice a difference in your health and bank balance.

Figures show you’re four times more likely to quit smoking for good if you use NHS stop smoking services and as soon as you stop your body will begin to repair the damage caused by cigarettes, so it’s never too late.

The Barnsley stop smoking team is part of the local health improvement service, which is provided by the South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. The team offers free friendly support and advice on stop smoking medications.

Specialist stop smoking advisor Sylvia Speight said, "Recent figures show Barnsley has one of the worst track records in the UK for the number of people who smoke – with 20% of local deaths in the over 35 age group attributed to smoking. But it’s never too late to stop, with the body having an amazing ability to repair damage and reduce the risk of serious illness. At the same time as having an impact on your health people often forget the long term cost of smoking. £6 a day may not seem a massive amount to a 20 a day smoker, but when you stop to think about how much you spend on cigarettes every week/month/year…or even over a lifetime…it’s shocking."

So why not put quitting smoking at the top of your New Year’s resolution list!

If you live in Barnsley, and want to know more about this free service contact the specialist stop smoking service on 01226 737077, or visit www.stopsmokingbarnsley.nhs.uk