Overview
COPD is the UK’s fifth biggest killer and is mainly caused by smoking. It can leave sufferers fighting for breath.
Fresh’s ‘Every Breath’ campaign has raised awareness that smoking causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and has been supported by the British Lung Foundation (now Asthma + Lung UK). We have also worked with people suffering from COPD to share their stories across news and social media, and encourage people to stop smoking.
The risks are significant, with one major study even suggests at least 1 in 4 smokers will develop clinically significant COPD. The North East also has the highest hospital admission rates from COPD.
One of the problems is that many smokers ignore the early warning signs, not realising that feeling short of breath is not a normal part of smoking but can be an early sign of lung damage, making quitting vitally important before more damage is done.
The campaign has also ran in the South West and on cinemas in Yorkshire. We are grateful to Sting for supporting the campaign and allowing the lyrics from his song “Every breath you take” to be used. Using socia media, Fresh has also engaged with many people responding to the campaign to direct them towards the local support offered by the British Lung Foundation.
Results
Every Breath resulted in one of the largest rises in quitting the North East has ever seen through NHS Stop Smoking Services.
While the campaign was running, NHS Stop Smoking Services saw a 17 per cent increase in people setting quit dates – compared to a 2.9 per cent rise nationally and a 21 per cent increase in people making it successfully to week four of their quit attempt compared to 3.1 per cent rise nationally.
The campaign also saw:
- 76% of smokers more concerned about smoking after seeing it
- 66% saying it made them more likely to quit
- 27% did something as a result (e.g. made a quit attempt, cut-down or talked to someone)
- Over 11,000 visits to the campaign website
- Two phases resulted in PR value worth £1.4m
“I had been considering quitting smoking, but didn’t really have the inspiration to actually do it. Then I saw the advert on TV and it really hit it home that the woman in the advert could be me and I don’t want to end up like that.” Vanessa W, North Shields, who visited North Tyneside Stop Smoking Service.