Quit the habit for Stoptober! (From This is The West Country)

Quit the habit for Stoptober!

8:00pm Friday 28th September 2012 in Somerset

SMOKERS are being urged to back a national campaign to take part in a 28-day quit challenge.

This October, smokers in Somerset are being encouraged to take part in the first mass quit attempt launched by the Department of Health – Stoptober.

Somerset’s NHS Stop Smoking Service will launch the Stoptober campaign in the county on Saturday in Taunton’s High Street at 10am.

There will be lots of free information and advice on how you, your relatives and workmates can all make a commitment to quit.

Sara Dove, of the Somerset Stop Smoking Service, said: “We know that if you can stop smoking for 28 days you’re five times more likely to stay smoke-free, and Stoptober leads smokers through a detailed step-by-step programme to help them achieve this goal.”

Help and advice are always available from Somerset’s NHS Stop Smoking Service, which can be contacted on 03030-339840 or by texting MYQUIT to 80010.

The campaign includes a preparation pack, 28-day Quit Calendar, and Health & Wealth wheel.

Quitters can also receive support and encouragement through a daily messaging service, inspiration from celebrity mentors and expert advice.

As well as the financial benefits of stopping smoking, those undertaking the 28-day programme will experience physical improvements, including a better sense of smell and taste, and more energy.

Longer term, those who stop smoking reduce their risk of heart disease and lung cancer, as well as protecting others from breathing in their second-hand smoke.

Stoptober 2012 kicks off on Monday, October 1, and runs for 28 days.

For more information and to join the biggest stop smoking challenge of its kind, visit smokefree.nhs.uk