Health and wellbeing
Quit smoking this winter with free local support in Walsall
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As winter sets in, Walsall Council is calling on residents to take action to protect themselves and their loved ones from the heightened risks of respiratory illness.
Cold weather, seasonal flu and other respiratory conditions make this time of year particularly challenging for those who smoke, with chest infections lasting longer, coughs becoming more severe and an increased risk of needing hospital treatment.
NHS England data shows 408,700 hospital admissions were attributed to smoking in 2022–23 and about 16% of all respiratory admissions were smoking-related.
Respiratory disease is the third biggest cause of death in England, with smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke a leading cause of most respiratory diseases. Smoking can worsen conditions such as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), emphysema and chronic bronchitis, and increase the risk of heart attack, especially during colder months.
Quitting smoking is one of the most effective ways to improve health. Secondhand smoke is particularly harmful, especially for children and the best way to protect loved ones is to quit smoking. At the very least, cars and homes should be smokefree to reduce exposure.
Taking this step now not only strengthens personal health and wellbeing but also helps protect loved ones at a time when respiratory illnesses are at their peak.
Walsall Council’s Public Health and Trading Standards teams, along with commissioned stop smoking services, are committed to helping residents make these changes and create healthier environments for families.
Stopping smoking improves life expectancy and brings benefits within weeks, such as improved lung function, reduced coughing and wheezing and less shortness of breath. The immune system becomes stronger and better able to fight off flu and chest infections.
“ Winter can be a challenging time for breathing conditions, flu and respiratory illness, especially for vulnerable relatives and young children.
Quitting smoking now is one of the most powerful steps you can take to protect your own health and to protect the people you love. Services like Be Well Walsall and Quit with Bella provide free local support to make that change achievable and sustainable, and I encourage residents to take advantage. “
A number of services commissioned by Walsall Council are here to support residents to quit smoking.
Be Well Walsall provides free, tailored support to quit smoking through face-to-face, phone or digital sessions. Up to 8 to 12 weeks of support is provided, including nicotine replacement therapy, regulated vapes and varenicline (a prescribed medication which helps reduce cravings and eases withdrawal symptoms). Support is also available to quit vaping. Visit their website or call 01922 444044 to sign up.
Quit with Bella offers app provision from AI robo-coach Bella alongside support from a trained advisor, including a 12-week supply of nicotine replacement therapy or regulated vapes, sent in the post. To sign up, call 0800 772 3872, email walsall.stopsmoking@nhs.net or complete a referral form.
Specialist stop smoking support provided by Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust includes the Stop Smoking in Pregnancy Service for pregnant women and their partners. Advisors provide friendly behavioural support, nicotine replacement therapy and regulated vapes. Call 01922 270477 for more information or to refer.
For those currently in hospital, the Tobacco Dependency Service supports patients who smoke or have smoked within the previous 30 days. Trained staff work with inpatients to help them quit smoking and offer nicotine replacement therapy.
Patients attending the ED and their companions visiting Walsall Manor Hospital’s Emergency Department can speak to trained staff to stop smoking, with an onward referral to a local service. To find out more about the inpatient Tobacco Dependency Service or Emergency Department Advice and Referral Pathway, email wht.tdt@nhs.net.
Specialist support is also offered to inpatients receiving mental health support through Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
- Information included in this release has been sourced from the following:
