1 October 2024
Stoptober is the Department of Health and Social Care’s annual stop smoking campaign, based on evidence that if a smoker makes it to 28 days smoke-free, they are five times more likely to quit for good. Since it first launched in 2012, Stoptober has helped over 2.5 million people make a quit smoking attempt. With your help, this year we aim to encourage the remaining five million smokers in England to give quitting a go this October and support them to quit successfully.
While smoking rates have declined in recent years, over five million people in England still smoke and smoking remains the single biggest cause of preventable ill health. The total cost from smoking to society in England is approximately £21.8 billion each year, which includes a cost to the NHS of approximately £1.9 billion per year to treat smoking-related diseases.
When you quit smoking the benefits start almost immediately. After just eight hours harmful carbon monoxide levels in your blood will have reduced by half. After 48 hours your senses of taste and smell are improving. After two to twelve weeks circulation will have improved, and after three to nine months lung function increases by up to 10%.
Evidence shows that once people have got past the short-term withdrawal stage of quitting, they have reduced anxiety, depressionand stress and increased positive mood compared with people who continue to smoke.
You can get free support from the Better Health Quit Smoking website
