Region’s smokers urged to take back their lives
Local smokers have been urged to quit their habit and reclaim the time that cigarettes have stolen from their lives.
No Smoking Day, which took place on 12 March, saw the local NHS reach out to cigarette users about quitting for good and improving not only their health but their overall life expectancy too.
One in ten adults living in the region smoke on a daily basis, which means approximately 100,000 local people are at risk of developing serious life-limiting illnesses, such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
Dr Barry Coakley, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, said: “Stopping smoking is the best thing people can do for their health, and it’s never too late to quit.”
Free help for people wanting to quit smoking is available in all parts of Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire, with each local authority offering a range of services and support options.
- In Bath and North East Somerset, stop smoking support can be found at www.bathneshealthandcare.nhs.uk or by calling 0300 247 0050.
- In Swindon, information and advice, including how to access the support of a stop smoking coach, can be found at www.swindon.gov.uk/info/20139/live_well_swindon.
- In Wiltshire, people can find help and support, including an offer of six months of free access to the Smoke Free app, at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/smokefree.
Further information on the negative health impacts caused by smoking, along with links to other quitting resources, can be found at www.nhs.uk/live-well/quit-smoking.