It’s Stoptober!

1 October 2020

Stoptober, the UK’s 28 day national stop smoking campaign, begins on 1 October – and there’s never been a better time to quit!

Smoking remains the single largest cause of preventable ill health in Wales, and a significant cause of health inequity. Despite considerable progress in reducing the prevalence of smoking, data from the Welsh Health Survey 2015 shows there are still around 490,000 adult smokers in Wales. The survey also shows that over two in three smokers want to stop and approximately 40 per cent of smokers actively try to quit each year.Stopping smoking is the best thing you can do for your own health – and the health of people around you. It’s never too late to quit. You’ll start seeing the benefits immediately, not just for your health but also your finances. Did you know that if a smoker can quit for 28 days, they are five times more likely to quit for good? Click here for more information on smoking and your sight.

Help Me Quit is the single point of contact for smokers who want to stop smoking in Wales. Help Me Quit is:

  • a single brand for NHS stop smoking services in Wales
  • a bilingual website with information on all NHS stop smoking services in Wales
  • a contact centre team that provides smokers with access to all NHS stop smoking services including community pharmacy, Stop Smoking Wales and hospital based services.
  • making it easier for smokers to choose the best NHS stop smoking support for them in their local area
  • the best choice a smoker can make to quit smoking.

If you’re a smoker, and you want to quit, call Help me Quit on 0800 085 2219 (Freephone number), text them on HMQ to 80818 (texts cost one standard rate message) or go online and complete the short ‘Request a Call-back’ form.

You, your bank balance and your eyes will thank you for it!