North Lincolnshire smokers urged to quit

While studies show that two thirds of smokers want to quit, nearly one in five UK adults continue to smoke, including 17.9 per cent in North Lincolnshire.

More and more people are kicking the habit in North Lincolnshire though; the current 17.9 per cent is the lowest rate it has ever been. This decreased from 23.6 per cent last year.

This year’s No Smoking Day theme is ‘Proud to be a Quitter’. In life we’re told never to give up – but when it comes to smoking, being a ‘quitter’ is a good thing.

Smokefreelife North Lincolnshire that provides a stopping smoking service on behalf of the council will be in Scunthorpe town centre on No Smoking Day to provide advice for smokers on taking their first steps to quitting.

Councillor Rob Waltham, cabinet member for Health, Strategic Projects and Regeneration, said: “We understand that the majority of smokers want to stop smoking, but many find the task too daunting. No Smoking Day is the perfect opportunity to inspire smokers in North Lincolnshire to quit for good.

“With support, smokers are more likely to succeed in their attempt to quit. That is why we will be offering support not only on No Smoking Day but every other day of the year to educate smokers on the range of local services and resources available to them.

“Many people think that stop smoking services don’t support the use of e-cigarettes, however in North Lincolnshire we recognise there are benefits and they provide help for people quitting smoking rather than using them recreationally. This is why our stop smoking service will look to incorporate the use of e-cigarettes within the support provided to help people quit.”

The annual No Smoking Day campaign is run by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and encourages hundreds of thousands of smokers to make a quit attempt on No Smoking Day.

Dr Mike Knapton, Associate Medical Director at the BHF, said: “Giving up smoking is the single best thing you can do for your health, and that’s why the British Heart Foundation runs No Smoking Day. We’re encouraging smokers to make Wednesday March 9 in their calendars, and take the first step towards a smoke-free life.”

To receive information and support on stopping smoking, visit No Smoking Day and join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #NoSmokingDay.

For more information or to access stop smoking support locally, call 0800 7723249 or visit Smoke Free North Lincolnshire