For the second consecutive year, the anti-smoking campaign
‘Stoptober’ will be running and aimed at encouraging smokers to quit
smoking for 28 days in October.
Public Health England (PHE) is behind the campaign which begins on October 1st and
promotion for it has already begun across England and Wales. PHE state
that 2012’s challenge was an overwhelming success, with over 275,000
people registering for last year’s Stoptober, of which 160,000 managed
to finish the 28 day challenge.
The 28 day time length for the challenge
is not simply an arbitrary number; health experts say that a smoker who
quits for 28 days, and abstains from cigarettes, could add a week onto
their lifespan, every 28 days, for the rest of their life.
The benefits to stopping smoking
Those who quit usually experience physical improvements such as a
better sense of taste and smell, more energy, a delayed onset of facial
aging and wrinkles, whiter teeth, fresher breath and better sex due to
improved blood flow and stronger erections for men.
In the longer term, those who quit smoking can significantly reduce
the risk of suffering from heart disease and a wide range of cancers
such as lung cancer, on top of preserving the health of those around you
as there will now be no secondhand smoke.
England’s chief medical officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, said:
“One in two long-term smokers die as a result of smoking, this is the
single biggest cause of premature death taking more than 100,000 lives
in the UK and costing the NHS up to £2.7 billion each year. Life is
precious and Stoptober is all about supporting and encouraging each
other to quit – potentially adding years to your life. Taking part in
the challenge is a first step to a longer and healthier life, so have a
go by stopping with Stoptober.”
Professor Kevin Fenton, director of health and wellbeing at Public
Health England, added: “Campaigns such as Stoptober, along with the
support provided by local stop smoking services, play a huge role in
helping people to stop. Whilst smoking prevalence across the country as a
whole is falling steadily, it remains high in some parts. We want every
smoker to consider making a quit attempt this October and join the
thousands of people who are feeling the benefits from stopping smoking
last year.”
However, there are also major monetary benefits to be felt from
giving up cigarettes – particularly important when considering how
difficult it is for many families in the current financial climate. By
quitting smoker, the average smoker can expect to save more than £150 a
month and nearly £2,000 a year – if we take £7.77 for the cost price of a
packet of cigarettes and an average daily consumption of 13 cigarettes
per smoker. Incredibly, it was estimated that during last year’s
Stoptober campaign £25 million was saved by 160,000 people from not
buying cigarettes.
Those who want to sign up for Stoptober will receive a free
stop-smoking pack, a 28-day mobile phone app and text support via daily
updates and advice on quitting.
If you are a smoker who is aged 18 or above and wants to quit, you do
not need to wait for Stoptober to begin. Quit today with the help of
Medical Specialists Pharmacy. You can obtain the smoking cessation
medication Champix
following an online consultation with one of Medical Specialists’ GMC
registered doctors. Champix works out from as little as just £75.00 per
pack and mimics the effect of nicotine on the body, reducing the urge to
smoke and relieving withdrawal symptoms. It can also decrease the
enjoyment you experience of smoking if you are still smoking whilst on
the treatment.
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