Posted on Tuesday 12th March 2024
Three former smokers from Staffordshire Anthony, Simon and Linda
Three former smokers from Staffordshire are sharing their positive experiences of quitting, following help from a free stop smoking service funded by Staffordshire County Council.
The rallying call to encourage others to give up comes ahead of national ‘No Smoking Day’ on Wednesday 13 March, now in its 40th year.
Linda, Anthony and Simon have one thing in common. Earlier this year, they contacted Everyone Health Staffordshire, who helped them all to give up, after a combined 125 years as smokers.
Now the trio are turning their attentions to helping others quit with the message, if we can do it, so can you.
Linda aged 70 from Rugeley said: “It has been a very positive experience. I have been supported and encouraged to achieve and I will tell others to try this service.”
Anthony aged 67 from Newcastle-Under-Lyme said: “I would definitely recommend the service to others. I wouldn’t have been successful without the support and having the weekly carbon monoxide monitor tests. I’ve also managed to save over £1000 in the 12 weeks since quitting and this has paid half towards a 2-week holiday abroad to Fuerteventura.”
Simon aged 48 from Kidsgrove said: “I have found that having someone checking up on me and my progress has been helpful, and also getting encouragement from someone who is not a family member. I would definitely recommend the service to others.”
The Everyone Health Staffordshire stop smoking service provides 12 weeks of one-to-one telephone support or face-to-face sessions at venues across Staffordshire. Advice on managing cravings and access to free stop smoking aids (nicotine replacement therapy) is included in the free support.
Chris Speed, Senior Smoking Practitioner from Everyone Health Staffordshire said:
“With funding from the council, we provide free telephone support sessions and face-to-face appointments to people looking to quit smoking. We offer advice on managing cravings and free nicotine replacement medication as part of the service.
“The service is designed to help Staffordshire residents quit for good and I would urge anyone interested in quitting to get in touch with us.”
Mike Wilcox, Cabinet Member for Health and Care at Staffordshire County Council said:
“Smoking is still the single largest preventable cause of death in England, with an estimated 64,000 deaths each year, so helping people to quit smoking remains a priority for the county council.
“Quitting smoking is one of the most important things you can do for your health, but it’s not easy to do it on your own. You’re actually three times more likely to succeed when you have the right support.
“Our service with Everyone Health Staffordshire is helping people right across the county to quit and it’s great that we now have people who have managed to quit helping others. Through a combination of practical advice, some gentle motivation and some stop smoking products we’re able to help people give up.
“No smoking Day is a great opportunity to try a quit attempt, so I would encourage people to get in touch with the service.”
People interested in quitting can find out more about the support available from the Everyone Health Staffordshire website or text QUIT to 60777.
People can also access support through various apps. Search on the Staffordshire health app finder to find the best rated apps for you.