New quitting aid inspires ex-smokers to share stories for Stoptober

Staffordshire residents Margaret (pictured), Steven and Sarah all have one thing in common. They have all quit smoking for 12-weeks, following support from Everyone Health Staffordshire.

The trio all gave up using quitting aids that have recently been introduced to the stop smoking service.

They are now urging others to try a quit attempt as part of Stoptober, the national campaign to encourage people to make a quit attempt during October.

Steven, 57 from Burton credits the Cytisine tablet and ongoing support for his success. He said: “When I first heard about the Cytisine tablet which can help people quit smoking, I thought I would try it.

“Thanks to the medication and the ongoing support from Everyone Health, I was able to quit.  I have not really noticed missing smoking and I feel so much healthier. I will not go back to smoking again and I’d recommend the service to anyone else trying to quit.”

Sarah, 45 from Burntwood used vapes to help her quit and said: “When I first approached the service, I was adamant that vaping was not a good option for me. But after speaking with my adviser, about the knowledge and evidence around vaping, I quickly realised that this would be the best option for me.

“I’m now over 12-weeks off them and am proud of myself.  I would definitely encourage others to get in touch with the service.”

Everyone Health Staffordshire offers 12 weeks of one-to-one telephone support and face-to-face appointments to people looking to quit smoking.

The service is free and provides access to nicotine replacement aids such as patches, gum and inhalators.  Vapes including refills to help people quit are also available for the full 12-week programme.

The service is funded by Staffordshire County Council.

Paul Northcott, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Support Member for Public Health said: “Smoking is still the single largest preventable cause of death in England.

“Treating smoking-related diseases also costs the NHS in England around £1.9 billion per year, so helping people to quit smoking remains a priority for the county council.

“We always support Stoptober which gives people a great opportunity to quit smoking. It’s also worth noting that if you quit for the month, you are five times more likely to quit for good. I would encourage people to get in touch with the service.”

Kim Yeung from Everyone Health Staffordshire said: “With funding from the council, we’re able to deliver this really successful programme and introduce more quitting aids.

“We can offer advice on managing cravings and provide free nicotine replacement medication as well as Cytisine, which helps people quit smoking by mimicking the effects of nicotine. This is all part of our service, designed to help Staffordshire residents quit for good.”

People interested in quitting can find out more about the support available from the Everyone Health Staffordshire website or text QUIT to 60777.

People can also access support through various apps. Search on the Staffordshire health app finder to find the best rated apps for you.