Quit during Stoptober with help from Yorkshire Smokefree
Smokers across South and West Yorkshire are being offered specialist support to quit by Yorkshire Smokefree throughout Stoptober. The service is run by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust on behalf of Barnsley, Calderdale, Doncaster, Kirklees, Rotherham, Sheffield and Wakefield Councils.
Launched in 2012, Stoptober is a national campaign which encourages smokers to give up cigarettes for just 28 days. Figures show if you can stop smoking for a month you are five times more likely to stay smoke free.
Our friendly advisors will be on hand to give advice and support to smokers who are making a quit attempt this Stoptober. In addition, they will be providing carbon monoxide (CO) readings and lung capacity tests.
Gill Stansfield, community services manager, said: “CO is a poisonous gas which is taken into the bloodstream when you smoke. It replaces some of the oxygen meaning that the heart has to work a lot harder to get oxygen around the body. This causes shortness of breath, tiredness, and damage to the heart. CO testing is a reality check for many smokers and is the incentive they need to quit for good. You’re four times more likely to quit with help from our expert NHS advisors, so visit the team at a location near you to get the support you need to quit, your way.”
Yorkshire Smokefree’s online support programme allows users to create their own personal plans, set a quit date and chat online with qualified advisors. It is available 24/7 from computers, mobiles and tablets.
Local quit shops in convenient locations also provide more traditional face to face support from qualified advisors, who have already helped thousands of people across the region to successfully stop smoking.
To stand an even better chance of quitting, Yorkshire residents are encouraged to sign up with their friends, family and colleagues to Stoptober. Evidence shows that smokers are two thirds more likely to quit when their spouse stops smoking, and a third more likely to quit when a close friend stops.
To find out more about Stoptober and Yorkshire Smokefree visit www.yorkshiresmokefree.nhs.uk or call 0800 612 0011.