Stoptober is back, calling on smokers in England to join the 2.5 million others who have made a quit attempt with the campaign previously.
More than five million adults in England still smoke. Approximately 15,542 adults in Slough smoke.
The smoking prevalence among pregnant women has risen from 5.7% to 6.7% between 2021 and 2022.
Smoking causes 64,000 deaths in England each year, making it the biggest cause of preventable illness and death
Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health. That’s why this year’s Stoptober campaign is encouraging smokers to join the thousands of others who are committing to quitting for the month of October – quit smoking for 28 days and you’re five times more likely to quit for good.
When you stop smoking good things start to happen – quitting will allow you to start moving better, breathe more easily and give you more money to spend. The health benefits start straightaway:
- within 20 minutes of stopping, your heart rate and blood pressure drop
- after 12 hours, the carbon monoxide level in your blood returns to normal
- long-term benefits include a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer.
Cllr Ishrat Shah, lead member for equalities, public health, and public protection, said: “There is a huge amount of free resources available to help residents stop smoking. The stop smoking clinic van will be at various locations across the borough starting with Slough High Street opposite the old cinema on Sunday 29 September, 10am-4pm. Drop in and receive advice, guidance, and support to quit from Health & Wellbeing Slough professionals. Quitting smoking is such a positive step for your mental and physical health and there’s no better time than now to try.”
You can get involved in Stoptober by:
Using available resources: Take advantage of Health and Wellbeing Slough, the local Stop Smoking Service, which offers free advice, support, and nicotine replacement therapies. Or you can contact them by:
•Telephone: 0800 0614734 / 01753 373646
•Text QUIT to 66777
•Quit with Bella app www.quitwithbella.co.uk
•online referral form here
Signing up: Visit the Better Health website to sign up and receive daily support emails, access to the Stoptober app, and a free Personal Quit Plan.
Joining local events: Find a list of events providing face-to-face support and resources at: https://www.slough.gov.uk/events