Make No Smoking Day the day you stop
The North East has 118,000 fewer people smoking than a decade ago – and smokers are being encouraged to make this No Smoking Day (11 March) their day to quit for good.
The message comes from Fresh ahead of the British Heart Foundation’s 32nd annual No Smoking Day campaign. Fresh is also encouraging former smokers to do something amazing and encourage someone they know to stop.
While seven in 10 North East smokers wish they could quit for the sake of their family and 85% wish they had never started, still one in five (22%) people in the region continue to smoke.
This year’s No Smoking Day theme is ‘Proud to be a Quitter’ and Fresh is urging smokers to never give up on quitting smoking, even if they have tried before. There are tens of thousands of people who are celebrating better health and more money from quitting smoking.
Lisa Surtees, Acting Director of Fresh, said: “This year’s No Smoking Day is all about celebrating the amazing achievements of those who have managed to quit smoking and are proud to be called a quitter. We’re also encouraging others to make themselves and their families proud by giving quitting a go too.
“If you’ve tried quitting before and not succeeded you shouldn’t feel like a failure, it can often take a few attempts before you quit for good. The important thing is never to give up on quitting.
“We’re also encouraging anyone who has quit to encourage someone else to stop too and give them support. It could help save someone’s life.”
There are so many great reasons to give quitting a go. By stopping smoking you not only reduce the risk of developing smoking-related diseases such as cancer, heart disease or COPD, but it’s also a great way to feel better about yourself.
As well as relieving stress and anxiety, quitting smoking will also help to give you more energy for improving your fitness. It has financial benefits too, and will give you an instant pay rise for saving money to spend on nice things for you and your family.
The British Heart Foundation has developed a ‘Smoking Time Machine’ app to demonstrate the effects that smoking could have on your appearance in years to come.
Upload your photo to the free app to see how smoking could give you deeper wrinkles, a grey tone to the skin and sagging jowls – then see how much better you could look as a non-smoker.
To download the app for free search ‘Smoking Time Machine’ on your smartphone’s app store (iTunes and Google Play Store only) or visit www.nosmokingday.org.uk
Top Tips for making this No Smoking Day the day you start to stop:
· Remember why you’re quitting – for a family member, to save money, for your health.
· Put the money you are saving from not buying cigarettes aside – make a plan to save towards something rewarding, like a holiday.
· If you are a long-term smoker, you may associate smoking with certain activities or times of the day. Changing your routine will help such as having a piece of fruit rather than a cigarette straight after a meal.
· If you’re used to smoking with colleagues at work, try taking a short walk around your office building as an alternative break from work demands. Recognising these habits and making plans in advance will all contribute to you successfully quitting smoking for good.
· If you’re going to quit or have recently quit, throw away all ashtrays, matches and lighters. It helps to get rid of everything that will remind you of smoking that could trigger a craving.
· Don’t undo all your good work by thinking ‘one cigarette won’t hurt’- it could make your craving worse and knock you off track. Instead, try to concentrate on how well you’re doing and remind yourself why you wanted to quit smoking in the first place and focus on that.
· Find a new hobby – it will help to distract you from wanting to smoke.
If you want to quit, you’re up to four times more likely to succeed with local NHS Stop Smoking Service support. For help to quit see your local pharmacy or GP, visit nhs.uk/smokefree or call your local NHS Stop Smoking Service on one of the following numbers:
- Newcastle NHS Stop Smoking Service – 0191 229 2911
- Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Stop Smoking Service
– 0800 531 6317 - Northumberland NHS Stop Smoking Service – 01670 813 135
- North Tyneside NHS Stop Smoking Service – 0345 2000 101
- County Durham NHS Stop Smoking Service – 0800 011 3405
- Darlington NHS Stop Smoke Service – 0300 123 1044
- Tees NHS Stop Smoking Service (Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton and Hartlepool) 01642 383 819
- Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Stop Smoking Service
0800 531 6317