Health and wellbeing
Take part in Stoptober to see good things happen
Published on
Walsall Council is encouraging residents to begin their journey of quitting smoking as part of this year’s Stoptober campaign.
Stoptober is a national campaign that encourages smokers to quit smoking for 28 days in October. It is the biggest mass quit attempt of the year, with over 2.5 million people having made a quit attempt since the campaign launched in 2012.
The theme for 2023 is ‘when you stop smoking, good things start to happen’. People living, working or registered with a GP in Walsall are being encouraged to download the free My SmokeFree Life app to help quit the expensive, harmful habit.
The app, which was commissioned by Public Health Walsall in collaboration with MoreLife, provides users with access to free stop smoking advice and support over a 12-week programme. Content is unlocked weekly and it includes the ability to speak to an advisor and access treatments.
A survey carried out by the NHS in the West Midlands shows that some respondents within the first two weeks of quitting smoking saw positive changes, with 42% feeling healthier, 41% having improved breathing and 25% maintaining healthier looking skin.
“ Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in Walsall. We are committed to helping people quit and the messaging in this year’s campaign highlights that when you stop smoking, good things begin to happen to you.
The My SmokeFree Life app can help people begin their journey to being smoke free. It provides access to expert advice and support, and it’s completely free to use. I encourage anyone to use it if they need help or assistance to help quit smoking.
Existing services such as One You Walsall will continue to offer free advice for anyone who would prefer support to quit smoking in other ways. “
“ The support I have received from Caroline and the team at Walsall’s My SmokeFree Life has been fantastic. The app shows my progress and amount of money I have saved but also has sessions to read through weekly from pre-quit to thoughts and behaviours, high risk triggers, relapse prevention and celebrating success. Everything on the app is easy to use and the information on the stop smoking treatments and tips for cravings are great. The NRT patches I have received free of charge have been a bonus. I cannot thank Caroline and the team enough. I continue to be smoke free and I wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone wanting to quit. Go for it – you can do it! “
The My SmokeFree Life app includes a number of features to help people quit smoking, such as:
- A quit plan that helps users track their progress, get weekly rewards and stay motivated.
- A variety of tools and resources to help users cope with cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
- Advisor-guided direct access to treatment options (Nicotine Replacement Therapy).
- Access to a team of stop smoking advisors who can provide support and guidance.
Working with local organisations, pop-up stands supporting people to quit smoking, will appear in the following locations during October 2023:
|
Date |
Location |
|---|---|
|
Monday 2 October |
Saddlers Shopping Centre with One You Walsall. |
|
Tuesday 3 October |
East Locality Hub, Silver Court in Brownhills from 9am to 12.30pm with Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust’s Smoking in Pregnancy Team.
Evening match between Walsall v MK Dons at Walsall Football Club. |
|
Friday 6 October |
Walsall Manor Hospital main foyer (by Costa) and antenatal clinic (AM).
|
|
Saturday 14 October |
Afternoon match between Walsall v Gillingham at Walsall Football Club.
|
|
Tuesday 17 October |
North Locality Hub, Blakenall from 9am to 12.30pm with Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust’s Smoking in Pregnancy Team. |
|
Thursday 19 October |
Stand at Walsall Manor Hospital from 9.30am to 1pm. |
|
Tuesday 24 October |
West Locality Hub, Ilmington House, Crescent Road, Wednesbury from 9am to 12.30pm with Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust’s Smoking in Pregnancy Team.
Evening match between Walsall v Crawley Town at Walsall Football Club. |
The My SmokeFree Life app is available to download for free from the App Store and Google Play or via www.mysmokefreelifewalsall.co.uk.
You can also visit www.oneyouwalsall.com for stop smoking advice.
Notes to the editor:
- MoreLife is an organisation that has been providing health and lifestyle interventions for over 20 years.
- My SmokeFree Life Walsall app can be downloaded free of charge from the Apple and Google Play stores.
- Quitting smoking provides many health benefits to fitness, fertility, pregnancy and breastfeeding, family and money. Further information about the benefits are available on the My SmokeFree Life Walsall website.
- To further promote the health benefits of quitting smoking and maintain motivation, App users can have the option to have their Carbon Monoxide levels checked at a local clinic or at home using a specialist iCO monitor.
- My SmokeFree Life provides all its users with a personalised dashboard enabling everyone to track how much money they have saved and the total number of days smoke free, with rewards such as badges and certificates to be collected along the way.
- The digital service complements existing services in Walsall that offer health and wellbeing support:
- Thrive Mobile Wellbeing Project: Get support for your wellbeing | Walsall Council
- One You Walsall - 01922 444044
- Walsall Drug and Alcohol Services: The Beacon – Walsall – Drug & Alcohol Service (changegrowlive.org)
- Walsall Talking Therapies: Walsall Talking Therapies | Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Mental health benefits to stopping smoking:
- On average, smokers in England can save £38 a week by quitting smoking. That’s £167 per month and £2,000 per year from quitting smoking.
- The proportion of the population using e-cigarettes in 2023 is 9.1%, the highest rate ever, equal to 4.7 million adults in Great Britain. 2.7 million (56%) are ex-smokers, 1.7 million (37%) are current smokers, 320,000 are never smokers.
- The main reasons given by current smokers for vaping are to cut down on smoking (19%), to try to help them quit (17%) and to prevent relapse (13%)
ENDS
