Smokers urged to quit this Stoptober

Public Health at Norfolk County Council is urging smokers to take the opportunity to quit this October during the annual Stoptober campaign.  Norfolk County Council is supporting the campaign which focuses on the benefits of quitting - when you stop smoking good things start to happen.

Now in its 12th year, Stoptober has successfully helped 2.5 million smokers make quit attempts.

Bill Borrett, Norfolk County Council Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing said: "Sadly cigarettes are still the biggest cause of preventable illness and death in the UK. In Norfolk 13.2% of all adults still smoke but it's never too late to try to give up. When you quit, you soon start to feel the benefits. You'll breathe more easily, you'll have more energy and your sense of taste and smell will improve. It's easier to stop smoking with the right support. One-to-one support and advice is available from Smokefree Norfolk as well as a range of other tools to keep you on track."

Tracy Williams, Clinical Lead for Health Inequalities for NHS Norfolk & Waveney, said: This October it is a great time to give up smoking. We are supporting the national annual campaign Stoptober, which encourages people to give up smoking but also reminds those who do smoke to consider the health harms that can result from smoking. These harms can lead to poorer health outcomes, especially for those in our more under-served communities across Norfolk and Waveney. There is a greater risk if you have a long term health condition or are pregnant for example.  Together our health and care colleagues continue to use campaigns such as these to work in partnership to improve people's lives across Norfolk and Waveney. 

James Wade, Operations Manager for Smokefree Norfolk said: "Stoptober is a great opportunity to reflect on the positive reasons why you want to stop smoking and all the benefits you will start to see and feel.  If you decide to stop smoking in October, with support and the use of stop smoking medications, you are 5 times more likely to quit.  Take that first step, stop smoking and good things will happen."

Deciding to quit is the first step, and there are lots of resources and support to take the next steps. You can find help to take the first step by visiting  Ready to Change.

The  Ready to Change  website is designed to support you in your efforts to change your behaviour and improve your health. This online tool will help you make small, achievable changes on your journey to better health.

In Norfolk and Waveney,  Smokefree Norfolk and Feel Good Suffolk offer local stop smoking services and support programmes. These include one-to-one support, stop smoking aids, nicotine replacement options, as well as structured 12-week support options.

The  Better Health - Stoptober  website has free support tools available, including the NHS Quit Smoking Stoptober app, daily email and SMS support, Facebook Messenger support, Facebook support group and the Personal Quit Plan, to help you find the combination of support to stay quit.