Middlesbrough FC support Stoptober
Football star Ben Gibson is fronting Middlesbrough FC’s support for Stoptober and is reminding fans that it’s not too late to give smoking the boot for good.
Middlesbrough FC is backing the mass quit challenge from Public Health England, which is supported regionally by Fresh, in a bid to boost the number of people in the North East taking on the 28-day quit attempt.
Smokers across the region have embraced Stoptober during its first four years with around 47,000 sign-ups from the North East. It’s hoped that thousands more will take their first step towards a smokefree life this year.
As well as the immediate health benefits, there are many other great reasons to quit smoking including saving money. Someone who smokes a packet of cigarettes a day could save around £250 a month.
Middlesbrough player Ben Gibson praised the efforts of those who are half way through the Stoptober challenge and also reminded other smokers that it’s never too late to sign-up to quit.
Defender Gibson said: “I’m delighted to support Stoptober on behalf of everyone at MFC. There are so many benefits that I’d encourage as many people as possible to get involved and take up the 28-day challenge.”
The smoking rate across the North East has fallen from 29% of people smoking in 2005 to 22% smoking in 2012 and 18.7% smoking in 2015 – a drop of 3.3% over the past four years and around 189,000 fewer smokers in the last decade.
Alongside this, according to the latest data from Nielsen, the number of cigarettes sold in the North East also dropped by 13.01% in 2015.
Ailsa Rutter, Director of Fresh, said: “Stoptober provides a fantastic opportunity for smokers to give quitting a go, even if they have tried before and not succeeded. Every quit attempt is different and there’s a wide range of support and advice available for those keen to take that step.
“Players are role models and it is brilliant to see them backing this campaign.”
Councillor Julia Rostron, Middlesbrough Council’s Executive Member for Adult Health and Social Care, said: “Quitting smoking can be one of the most difficult things to achieve but also one of the most rewarding. Here in Middlesbrough we have a really helpful Stop Smoking Service who understand stopping smoking can be a bumpy ride but will do all they can to help local people achieve their goal.
“Stoptober is now a fixture on the calendar and provides a great line in the sand for people who have been considering quitting smoking but have yet to put their plan into action and we want them to know support is available.”
Professor Peter Kelly, PHE NE Centre Director, said: “Quitting is the best thing a smoker can do to improve their health and reduce the chances of developing long-term conditions and dying prematurely.
“It is fantastic to have the support of our local clubs and if you know someone who is quitting, be sure to give them lots of encouragement!”
Football pundit Chris Kamara has also been supporting the campaign this year and comments: “Quitting smoking is hard and that is why we need to support each other. If you know someone giving it a go, give them encouragement. As we all know, team-work is a great way to achieve our goals; by taking part in Stoptober you’ll be joining a squad of thousands all embarking on their quit-smoking journey. And here’s the thing: if you quit for 28 days, you are five times more likely to quit for good, so go on, search Stoptober to find the best quitting method for you.”
Last year, out of the 2.5 million smokers who made a quit attempt, 500,000 people (20%) were successful – the highest recorded success rate and up from just 13.6% six years ago.
This increase in successful stop smoking attempts reflects the high number of people using quitting aids across England. In 2015, just over a million people (1,027,000) used an e-cigarette in a quit attempt while around 700,000 used a licensed nicotine replacement product such as patches or gum. In addition, over 2,043 people in Newcastle used their local stop smoking service in 2015/16.
For more information, search ‘Stoptober’ online and choose the package of support that will help you quit for good.
For information and support on stopping smoking, contact your local Stop Smoking Service (Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-On-Tees and Hartlepool) on 01642 383 819 or ask at your GP surgery or pharmacy.
Picture: Middlesbrough FC defender Ben Gibson supports Stoptober 2016.