Ditch or switch for No Smoking Day
With No Smoking Day tomorrow (March 8) Fresh is urging smokers in the North East to “ditch or switch” to save money and improve health.
Fresh is encouraging people to ditch their toxic tobacco or at least make the switch to a safer form of nicotine like an electronic cigarette.
Smoking is the major reason for differences in life expectancy between the richest and poorest in England. Cost can be a major factor in the decision to quit smoking, and with budget day also on March 8, quitting could feel like a pay rise.
Ailsa Rutter, Director of Fresh, said: “We know people worry about their loved ones smoking – especially children worrying about their mum or dad. No Smoking Day provides an ideal opportunity to take the first step and either quit, or encourage someone to stop.
“Having the support of friends and family can really help spur people on to succeed. It’s never too late to quit, even if you have tried before and not succeeded, it makes absolutely no difference to your chances of success next time.
“There’s also a wide range of free quit coaching on offer at stop smoking services across the region which can help boost people’s chances of success. And for anyone not ready to give up for good, a good starting point could be switching to an electronic cigarette, which is a far safer option.”
By quitting or switching to a quality refillable e-cigarette model, people who smoke 15 cigarettes a day could save around:
£47 a week – a trip to the cinema for four.
£205 a month – the cost of a PlayStation4 games console.
£616 over three months – the equivalent of travel and a one-night stay for a family of four to London with a visit to the Harry Potter studio, plus an evening meal out.
£1,233 in six months – a four-night holiday for a family of four to Disneyland Paris next Christmas.
£2,467 in one year – which would cover the cost of a family day trip (2 adults and 2 children) to meet Santa Claus in Lapland.
All stop smoking services in the North East are electronic cigarette friendly. To get your quit attempt underway, ask at your GP surgery or pharmacy, or contact your local stop smoking service for help and support:
Tees – Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-On-Tees and Hartlepool
01642 383 819
Live Well Gateshead
0800 014 9092
Newcastle Stop Smoking Service
0191 269 1103
Smokefreelife County Durham
0800 772 0565
Darlington
0300 123 1044 (national quitline)
North Tyneside (for details of local sessions)
0191 643 7171
Northumberland Stop Smoking Service
01670 813 135
South Tyneside Change 4 Life
0191 424 7300
Sunderland Live Life Well
0800 107 0741