Want to give up smoking? Now is the time you stop for good.
Three-quarters of smokers wish they could give up and many aim to quit on No Smoking Day, which falls on Wednesday, 12 March this year.
However, most think they’ll be able to tough it out by relying on willpower alone, only to fail that very day or shortly thereafter.
So, this year, boost your chances of success by getting your plan in place right now.
Pamela Parkinson, Clinical Lead for the Tobacco Advisory Team at Hull University Teaching Hospitals, said: “Research shows going ‘cold turkey’ is the least effective way to give up smoking so, this year, if you want to quit, start making your plan right now, ahead of No Smoking Day.
“Contacting Stop Smoking services for support, advice, nicotine replacement products, vape starter kits or counselling now will be the difference between success and failure.”
On average, every cigarette you smoke takes approximately 20 minutes from your life so, this year’s message is “Take back your life this No Smoking Day.”
Smoking claims around 80,000 lives a year in the UK and is responsible for one in four cancer deaths in England alone. Two-thirds of smokers will die from it and 408,700 hospital admissions were due to smoking in 2022-23, according to NHS England. Treating people with smoking-related illnesses takes £3bn from the NHS and social care funding pot.
At a time when the country’s finances under intense pressure, smoking costs our economy £21.3 billion a year through lost earnings, unemployment and early death.
And it’ll also boost your finances – saving you £48 a week or £2,500 a year.
So, ready to quit? Get in touch with your Stop Smoking team today.
- If you live in Hull, call Smokefree Hull on 01482 977617
- Residents in the East Riding should contact East Riding Stop Smoking Services on 0330 236 9102
You can also access the NHS Quit Smoking app, a Personal Quit Plan, 28-day email programme and advice on stop smoking aids from NHS Better Health.
