October marks a yearly Stoptober campaign, focused on providing people with lots of information and guidance to help them quit smoking.
The Healthwatch Cumberland team caught up with Lizzie and Chris from the Smokefree Cumberland team to find out more about how the service helps people to stop smoking and improve their health and wellbeing.
Lizzie explained to our team how Smokefree Cumberland uses a range of support methods to help people stop smoking:
"We provide tailored stop smoking support through our specialist Health and Wellbeing Officers. This can include behavioural support, nicotine replacement therapy and other stop smoking medications where appropriate, and practical strategies to help people make lasting changes towards a smokefree life."
The Health and Wellbeing Officers are part of Cumberland Council's Health and Wellbeing Team and provide support for up to 12 weeks following a quit date being set. Throughout a quit attempt, person-centred coaching is used to help people understand their smoking habits, identify triggers, build confidence and develop strategies to manage challenging situations. The team offers flexible support, including face-to-face and virtual appointments, and works with individuals to ensure support meets their needs.
The team told us that they are often met with surprise from people who have told them they didn’t realise there was so much support available to quit smoking:
"Many people are surprised by the range of support available to help them quit smoking. Through Smokefree Cumberland there are different options available to suit different people's needs, including support from our Health and Wellbeing Officers, participating local pharmacies and the Allen Carr programme. People can also self-refer through our website and access tailored support to help them achieve their smokefree goals."
Quitting smoking can be a challenging process, but Chris and Lizzie explained how the Smokefree Cumberland team are on hand to support people to try and understand their smoking habits and triggers:
"People smoke for many different reasons. Many of the people we support tell us that smoking has become part of their daily routine or a way of coping during challenging times. Early support sessions often focus on understanding personal smoking triggers and identifying healthier alternatives that can help support a quit attempt."
People can face different challenges when trying to stop smoking, particularly if smoking has been part of their routine for a long time or if others around them also smoke.
"Support is tailored to each individual and focuses on understanding their personal reasons for smoking. Together we explore practical changes that may support a quit attempt, such as introducing new routines, increasing physical activity or finding alternatives to smoking during breaks and social situations."
We asked the team what they think are the most effective ways to quit smoking:
“There’s no one size that fits all. Quitting involves a behaviour change. Nicotine replacement products can help with the nicotine withdrawal, but you need to change your whole routine and behaviour to be able to stop smoking permanently. Having a personal plan that works for you is the best way.”
“For those who’ve tried quitting before, it’s really important to get the right plan for you and to have the right tools to support you in the future. Finding your personal motivation to quit is very important as it helps with your cravings.”
"Some people believe that stopping smoking abruptly may be harmful, however for most people stopping smoking is safe and can be an effective way to quit. Others may prefer to reduce their smoking before becoming smokefree. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, which is why personalised support and planning can help people choose the method that works best for them."
The benefits to living smoke free are numerous and range from health improvements to improved finances.
Did you know that after 10 years of being smoke free, your risk of lung cancer is halved, and after 15 years your risk of a heart attack falls to the same as someone who has never smoked?
Chris told our team about his experience of quitting:
“The way you feel is a huge benefit. You will have more energy and be able to exercise more. For me personally, as someone who used to smoke, I now feel the freedom of having more time on my hands. I started social smoking when drinking with friends and experienced a lot of peer pressure to smoke at work in a previous job. I received support from a friend to help me quit, and now I’m not being controlled anymore. The cost no longer affects me, and I no longer have to think about whether I have enough cigarettes or when I need to buy more. It's given me a real sense of freedom."
Quitting smoking can also boost your finances, as smoking 12 cigarettes a day from a cheap brand of cigarettes could cost you around £2,452 a year. Lizzie told us how this impacts the people she supports:
“Some people we work with save up all the money they would have spent on cigarettes and add it up. This is a big motivator for a lot of people. Someone I work with recently told me they are going to buy a motorbike with all the money they’ve saved.”
“Another benefit is the confidence booster people get from achieving their goals. Many people gain confidence from achieving a goal they once thought would be difficult. Their success often has a positive influence on family members, friends and those around them."
“It has a big impact on the next generation as people are showing their kids they can achieve things, and they’re giving their kids better health. Many older people we work with tell us they just want to have more time to spend with their children and their grandkids.”
“I want people to know how much people tell us it was easier to quit than they thought, and that you are 3 times more likely to quit with support. Asking for help to quit is a strength, not a weakness.”
Here are some thoughts from some of the local people who Smoke Free Cumberland have supported:
“This service worked incredibly well for me; my Smoking Cessation Officer was available by text anytime I needed support I am now a non-smoker and delighted about it”
“We have tried everything in the past to try and quit smoking and never been able to get anywhere close. The support our smoking cessation officer has given us and the information about products has made us feel motivated and confident in quitting. We could not have done it without this programme. We would recommend our smoking cessation officer to anyone, we have enjoyed coming to appointments and she has helped make it feel worthwhile. It makes a different having a service where you don't just feel like a number in a system”
“I think this is a fantastic service, you know there is someone on the end of the phone if you need it and when things have been hard I may have given up before this time I carried on and stayed stopped.”
“I have found 1-2-1 support better, I would not have attended if it was group work.”
"I have found this better than when I have tried to quit by myself. It has been helpful knowing how the products work and being advised how to use them. I also think coming to appointments every 2 weeks has given accountability of my quit, I have felt more determined.”
If you’re thinking about quitting smoking, you can find more information on the support offered by Cumberland Council’s Smokefree Cumberland team on team on their website: Smokefree Cumberland Council
You can also visit the NHS’s Better Health website for more tips and support options: NHS Better Health Quit Smoking