WARRINGTON has been named as best in the North West for number of people successfully giving up smoking by Public Health England.
The latest release of Public Health England data for smoking across England shows Warrington hit the top spot for those quitting for four weeks or more, achieving 4,993 quits per 100,000 population.
As a result LiveWire’s SmokeFree Warrington service has praised the determination of people in the borough for kicking their smoking habit during lockdown, with Warrington residents taking on board health messages and making the positive decision to quit for good.
There are a number of factors that contribute to the town’s success in this area. Warrington has its own dedicated Tobacco Control Alliance, chaired by Cllr Maureen McLaughlin, which brings a multidisciplinary approach to tobacco control. Part of the Alliance is SmokeFree Warrington, a service run by LiveWire’s Lifestyles team, commissioned by Warrington Borough Council’s public health team, to deliver stop smoking support to Warrington.
The SmokeFree Warrington team (who according to the latest data have the best quit rate in the country) have worked throughout the lockdown period helping people to quit – reducing the financial burden on the NHS and other organisations in the borough, which as the comparative national data shows, is a positive return on investment for the town.
LiveWire Lifestyles Officer and Lead for SmokeFree Warrington, Ruth Armstrong said: “The last five months have been a testing time for everyone and those who have quit with us, have done incredibly well. They have used the pandemic as the ideal opportunity to create a new SmokeFree life for themselves. We love supporting people through that journey and really making a difference to people’s wellbeing. LiveWire’s SmokeFree Warrington team is thrilled that the residents of Warrington have continued to reach out to us to get appropriate advice and support for all stop smoking therapies.
“Our success in the region isn’t just attributed to one area or method of quitting, but more the ability listen to the residents and create tailored plan from them that supports the individual with their physical, mental and emotional health and behaviours.
“The acknowledgement of the contributing factors to someone’s barriers to stop, has always been key to our success, both regionally and nationally. We are so proud that, throughout the pandemic, the team has continued to support the Warrington community to achieve their SmokeFree goals.
“We’re 100% invested in the progress of Warrington’s Tobacco Control Plan. We play a small but important part, and the latest figures show what impact we can make when we work collaboratively. I would like to thank our council public health colleagues, as without their support and expertise, we would not have achieved this success for the town.”
Cllr Maureen McLaughlin, cabinet member for public health and wellbeing, said: “Smoking is the leading cause of preventable premature death in Warrington, killing around 280 people every year, and we want to ensure that people have access to the right support to help them to quit.
“It can be difficult to quit smoking on your own but by getting support you are more likely to not only quit, but not start up again. Smokers can get help when they want to stop, there’s lots of fantastic support on offer through LiveWire, and by using the support that is right for you, you’ll boost your chance of quitting for good so you can start to live a healthier, happier life.”
For more information on SmokeFree Warrington and the stop smoking support and services available, visit livewirewarrington.co.uk/lifestyle/stop-smoking or call 0300 003 0818.
