East Sussex: Free 'Quit Smoking' Support For Stoptober

A programme offering free quit smoking support in East Sussex will launch on October 1st.

The 28-day stop smoking campaign, by Public Health England, is the biggest quit smoking attempt in the country and has driven over a million attempts to give up the habit.

The estimated 79,000 smokers in East Sussex will be able to access free specialist assistance to help them quit as part of the annual Stoptober programme.

Research has found that if you can stop smoking for 28-days, you are five times more likely to stay smoke-free for good. 

In East Sussex you can access an on-line and telephone support service, provided by One You based on a system designed at the University of California and is evidence-based and supported by research.

Participants who sign up will receive regular support calls from a team of specialist 'Quit Coaches' and can be supported with nicotine replacement therapy, if necessary, to give participants the best chance of going smoke-free for good.

They can even make remote telephone appointments for evenings and weekends.

This year, One You East Sussex will be offering residents who sign up to the stop smoking pathway free e-cigarettes as a means of quitting smoking support.

Participants have been shown to be up to four times more likely to quit smoking with the support of One You East Sussex.

Tanya Sutton, Specialist Stop Smoking Team Lead at One You East Sussex:

"Statistics show us that around 68% of regular smokers want to quit.

"That means there could be around 54,000 smokers in East Sussex who want to give up. This 28 day programme gives them the perfect opportunity to do so."

"We have already seen with previous participants that within 48 hours your ability to taste and smell improves; breathing becomes easier and energy levels increase after 72 hours; after a month, your appearance improves, and between three and nine months after stopping coughs and breathing problems improve as your lung function is increased by up to 10%.

"It's got to be worth giving it a go."

One You East Sussex also offers other programmes for local residents around weight management, eating more healthily, reducing alcohol intake and becoming more physically active. 

Anyone interested in quitting smoking with the support of One You East Sussex can call them on 01323 404600 or sign up at www.oneyoueastsussex.org.uk.