Stoptober — There’s never been a better time to quit the ciggies
With the global COVID-19 pandemic creating a storm across the world, the role of stop smoking services in the UK has never been as important as they are now. It was only 50 years ago that almost half of all adults in the UK were smokers, but today that figure is down to around 14% of the population.
Now in its ninth year, ‘Stoptober’ is back for 2020 to help smokers quit. Stopping smoking is one of the best things you’ll ever do for your health. If you can quit during Stoptober, you’ll give your lungs the chance to repair, you’ll be able to breathe easier and if you can make it to 28 days smoke-free, you’re 5 times more likely to quit for good.
Since the pandemic hit, there has been more than one million people quitting smoking with 41% of those quitting in the past 4 months saying they had done so as a direct response to coronavirus (Action on Smoking and Health). So why is quitting smoking during this time so important? Well, data from the Zoe Covid Symptom Tracker app suggested smokers were 14% more likely than non-smokers to develop the three ‘classic’ symptoms of coronavirus, which are fever, persistent cough and a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste. Public Health England’s guidance also states that smoking tobacco is generally associated with an increased risk of developing respiratory viral infections. Therefore, the damage that smoking causes to the airways, can harm the immune system and reduce your ability to fight infection.
I guess there is no better time to quit than now, no matter what age you are, and how many times you’ve tried to quit! If you look at the age of those quitting smoking, from Prince Harry, Adele, Anthony Hopkins, Kym Marsh, Ewan McGregor and Kelsy-Beth Crossley, all in recent times, stopping smoking has certainly become a very popular thing to do across all age groups. Whether it’s for health reasons, money or fitness, with the right support, stopping smoking has never been more accessible than it is now.
In fact, here in Liverpool it is now so much easier to quit smoking due to the changes we’ve made to our local stop smoking service during COVID-19. This was due to Smokefree Liverpool having to suspend all face to face sessions due to social distancing guidelines and the high risk of transmission of the virus. Now Smokefree Liverpool provides all smokers who want to quit with a telephone support package that is second to none. Our service is fully automated which means whichever way you want to quit, our advisors can request nicotine replacement directly from your nominated pharmacy, or we can arrange a prescription request directly through your GP if you want to use Champix or Zyban. It really is that simple. So, let us sort out getting those products you have chosen and then you can throw all your energy into finally quitting.
Nicola, who quit with Smokefree Liverpool, was smoking 20 cigarettes a day for 30 years and has now been Smokefree for 11 weeks.
‘My main reason for quitting was because of the stories I heard about smokers who get Covid-19 having worse symptoms. That really scared me. I was also spending far too much on cigarettes. Quitting was far from easy, I had a few wobbles at the beginning, but I soon got on track. I used patches to help me quit and the friendly telephone support from Sarah at Smokefree Liverpool has been brilliant. She arranged for the patches to be collected from my pharmacy every two weeks which made things so much easier. Since quitting I can walk further distances without getting out of breath and I have saved enough money to go on holiday next year. If you are thinking of quitting, just do it. The support I received with Smokefree Liverpool during the lockdown was fantastic!’
And what’s even better? All the products used to help you quit will cost the same price as a prescription charge so you can start saving money straight away. If you do not pay for your prescription, then this service will be free of charge. We also have a specialist smoking in pregnancy service which includes the direct supply of nicotine replacement treatment delivered straight to your door totally free of charge.
We can also provide stop smoking support by text, online and through our social media platforms if you are unable to answer your phone. Stopping smoking really has never been so accessible with Smokefree Liverpool and we can be contacted 5 days a week 9am to 5pm, with a number of telephone support sessions available during the evening on certain days.
We know at least 70% of smokers are always thinking about stopping smoking, so our non-judgemental advisors understand how difficult it can be for smokers to reach out. Please give us a call today, sign up for Stoptober 2020 and you could be only 28 days away from becoming a non-smoker.
Call Smokefree Liverpool on 0151 374 2535 or text QUIT to 66777 for support, or visit https://www.smokefreeliverpool.co.uk/.
Visit https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/ for more information on Stoptober.
Paul Roberto
Assistant Manager, Smokefree Liverpool
