Another chance to quit smoking

SMOKERS in Warrington are being encouraged to quit as part of Stoptober – the national 28-day quitting challenge.
In five years, the Stoptober challenge has driven more than one million quit attempts and is the biggest mass quit attempt across the country.
It is based on research showing that people who can stop smoking for 28-days, are five times more likely to stay smoke free for good.
During last year’s Stoptober, 148 smokers quit across Warrington. But there is still more work to be done by LiveWire – the provider of the stop smoking service in the town.
Thirteen per cent of residents across the borough are still smoking, which is two per cent lower than the national smoking prevalence. However, the smoking rate among manual workers in the town is as high as 27 per cent.
The mortality rate linked to smoking is still significantly higher in Warrington than it is nationally.
There were 318 deaths between 2013-2015 linked to smoking – 35 more than the national average.
During the month-long Stoptober campaign, LiveWire’s Stop Smoking Team will be visiting a number of venues across the town, including community centres and medical centres, to offer face-to-face support to people wanting to quit.
They will also be working with the crèche at Orford Jubilee Neighbourhood Hub to teach children and parents about the dangers of passive smoking, through the Me and My Bear story book from the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.
Stop Smoking Advisors will also be providing support on social media, through “live chats” via partners’ social media accounts, including Warrington Borough Council, Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Warrington CCG.
LiveWire’s Stop Smoking service provides free, expert support and guidance and helps people quit using a range of different methods, including nicotine replacement therapy, Champix or Zyban.
They also now support smokers using non-licenced electronic delivery systems, commonly known as e-cigs.
Ruth Armstrong, stop smoking advisor at LiveWire, said: “We are seeing a lot more people using electronic devices as a method to stop smoking, but they may not be getting the right support.
“There could be side-effects from getting too much nicotine, including headaches and nausea, but we can now support people even if they are using e-cigarettes.
“I would strongly advise anyone using an electronic cigarette as a method to quit to come in,
chat to us and get the correct support to be successful in their quitting attempt.”