Practice News

Stoptober 2024

The start of October marks Stoptober, a national campaign which encourages people to quit smoking for good. Smoking remains the biggest behavioural cause of preventable death, with 64,000 deaths a year and quitting is one of the best things a smoker can do for their health.

The following are the following goals in relation to tobacco and smoking:

• The elimination of tobacco-related lung disease in the UK population is the ultimate objective. The goal is to achieve a year-on-year reduction in smoking prevalence and exposure to second-hand smoke.
• The establishment of a smoke-free society.

When someone quits smoking, good things start to happen very quickly — they will begin to see almost immediate improvements to their health.

It’s never too late to quit and it’s easier to stop smoking with the right support.

Vaping to quit smoking

Nicotine vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking. It’s also one of the most effective tools for quitting smoking.

Vaping (using e-cigarettes or e-cigs) is not completely harmless and it is only recommend it for adult smokers, to support quitting smoking and staying quit.

Stop smoking aids

Willpower is important when someone wants to stop smoking, but it’s easier when combined with some extra support.

Stop smoking treatments really help with managing nicotine cravings and other tobacco withdrawal symptoms.  They also boost chances of successfully quitting, especially if the person get expert support from their local stop smoking service.

If someone has tried unsuccessfully to stop smoking using aids before, it’s worth trying again because they may need to try a few to find what’s right for them.

Find the local Stop Smoking Service

There’s a free local Stop Smoking Service nearby!  It’s much easier to stop smoking when someone gets the right support and with professional help, they’re 3 times more likely to quit for good.

To find their local service to check how they can help, visit:

https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/other-health-services/stop-smoking-support-services

One You smokefree | Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (kentcht.nhs.uk)