Be smart. Don’t start

Stoptober, the 28-day stop smoking campaign from Public Health England, is back from today, Tuesday 1 October.

Stoptober has driven over one million quit attempts to date and is the biggest mass quit attempt in the UK. The campaign is based on research that shows that if you can stop smoking for 28-days, you are five times more likely to stay smoke-free for good.

There are plenty of ways to quit smoking and Stoptober can help people choose what works for them. Stoptober offers a range of free support to help people on their quitting journey including an app, daily emails, Facebook Messenger and lots of encouragement from the Stoptober online community on Facebook.

In addition, people can get expert face-to-face advice from local stop smoking services. Those who use stop smoking aids and receive face-to-face support from their local stop smoking service are up to four times more likely to quit successfully.

We know giving up isn’t easy, but the benefits can be huge:

• Save money – you’ll have much more cash in your pocket; if you smoke a packet a day, you could save around £250 each month!
• Boost your health – no matter how long you’ve smoked for, quitting can help to immediately improve your health
• Quit for your family – you’re more likely to live longer and have more energy for quality time with your children, family and friends.

If you don’t smoke, why not try and support and reassure someone who does, remind them of the benefits of giving up.

If you need support to stop smoking, there is plenty of guidance on the Stoptober website.

You can also find guidance and support through the Feeling First Class website - use the code FFC1 to sign-up. The guidance includes advice on how to suppress the triggers that make you want to smoke and handle cravings.