Free support to help people quit smoking

People interested in quitting smoking are being reminded that help is at hand as part of a national campaign.

Stoptober, now in its eleventh year, aims to encourage smokers to make a quit attempt during the month of October.

This year 's theme is 'You 've got this ' and Staffordshire County Council 's Public Health team and Everyone Health Staffordshire are reminding people about the help available.

The service offers free telephone support sessions and virtual appointments to anyone aged 40 or over, living in Staffordshire.

Advice on managing cravings and access to free medication is included in the support.

With the rising cost of living and people looking for ways to save money, health bosses are also keen to point out that people who smoke 20 cigarettes a day and quit, could save themselves up to £5,000 a year.

Cllr Paul Northcott, Staffordshire County Council 's Cabinet Support Member for Public Health, Integrated Care and Safeguarding, said: “We know that quitting smoking isn 't easy but with the right support and encouragement it can be done.

“Stoptober is when we encourage smokers to join thousands of people to make a quit attempt and try to sustain it for 28 days.

“We know from research that people who give up for the four week period are five times more likely to quit for good.

“Quitting smoking is not only good for your health and the people around you but it 's also good for your wallet and could save you thousands of pounds a year. ”

With nearly six-million adults in England still smoking, it remains the single biggest cause of preventable death, with 64,000 deaths a year.

Last year, Everyone Health Staffordshire helped over 1,200 people to make a quit attempt.

Chris Speed, senior stop smoking practitioner from Everyone Health Staffordshire, said: “Our service is designed to help people quit smoking for good, not just in the short term.

“We offer free, one-to-one telephone support and virtual appointments, which are tailored for each individual aged 40 and over. We can advise on choosing a suitable stop smoking medication and how to manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

“All stop smoking medication that we provide is also free of charge, so it 's a great opportunity to try and quit. ”

People can read more about the support and get in touch at the Everyone Health Staffordshire website.

People under the age of 40 can also access support via the free NHS App. Just search 'NHS Quit Smoking ' in the app store.

Pictured: Chris Speed with Cllr Paul Northcott