Health bosses urge Shropshire's 50,000 smokers to quit

Smoking remains the single biggest behavioural cause of preventable illness and death in the UK.

Around 50,000 adults in Shropshire smoke, and between 2019-2020 there were 3,443 smoking-related hospital admissions.

Dr Nick White, Chief Medical Officer at NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, said: “Thousands have successfully quit smoking and you can too. Make this January your fresh start.

“Stopping smoking is one of the best things you will ever do for your health. The sooner you quit, the sooner you'll notice improvements to your health, plus it’s never too late. Stopping smoking brings immediate benefits to health, including people with an existing smoking-related disease.”

On average, a smoker could save £38 a week by quitting – around £2,000 a year.

As part of a national NHS campaign this January, help and support is available for anyone who wants to quit smoking or vaping.

It includes the NHS Quit Smoking app, local support groups, an online Personal Quit Plan and the local stop smoking service look-up tool.

People can also pop into their local pharmacy, where there is a variety of help on offer, including advice and signposting on which stop smoking aids could be helpful.

Dr White added: “Stopping smoking can significantly improve your health in ways you might not expect. Once you stop smoking, some of the benefits are immediate and some are longer term.

“After 72 hours, the bronchial tubes begin to relax, breathing becomes easier and energy levels increase. After three to nine months, coughs, wheezing and breathing problems improve as lung function increases by up to 10 per cent. And after one year, the risk of heart attack has halved compared to a smoker.

“Quitting smoking can also help improve your mental health. Evidence shows that once people have got past the short-term withdrawal stage of quitting, they have reduced anxiety, depression and stress and increased positive mood compared with people who continue to smoke.

“We know it’s tough to quit smoking, but it’s certainly not impossible. Planning and making use of the free support services that are available can help you quit smoking for good."

Dr White suggested a number of steps to help quit smoking: Pick a quit date and add it to your calendar; List your reasons to quit; Use stop smoking aids to help manage cravings; Change your routine if you smoke at certain times of day; Tell people you are quitting; If you’ve tried to quit before, remember what worked; Have a plan if you are tempted to smoke; List your smoking triggers and how to avoid them; Keep cravings at bay by keeping busy; Exercise away the urge.

For further tips and support, search “Smoke Free” or visit nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking