Published Friday 6 January 2017 at 10:18
Blackburn with Darwen health bosses are urging people to access local help and support to quit smoking this new year.
They are also backing a new year campaign by Public Health England which highlights the damaging effects smoking has on the heart.
The new year health harms campaign follows statistics that 45 people a day in England die of cardiovascular disease (CVD) caused by smoking; which equates to over 16,500 people a year.
CVD includes all diseases of the heart and circulation and is usually associated with the build-up of fatty deposits clogging up the arteries that can block the flow of blood to vital organs and eventually cause fatal heart attacks and strokes.
The disease is one of the main causes of death and disability in the country and quitting has been identified as the single best thing a smoker can do to protect their heart.
The latest hard hitting campaign from PHE features a new emotive short film featuring children’s TV doctor Dr Ranj working with primary school children to create their own heartfelt messages about the dangers of smoking.
The campaign and video coincide with the first year when all cigarettes sold in the UK will be in standard packs with all attractive branding removed. The packs, which will be mandatory from May, feature graphic picture and text health warnings, several of which illustrate how smoking causes cardiovascular disease and death.
If you’d like help to quit smoking, Blackburn with Darwen’s Stop Smoking Service offers a range of personalised support including one-to-one consultations, follow-up appointments, clinic times, quit kits and information and signposting support.
Contact (01254) 682037 or email: quitsmoking@blackburn.gov.uk. Click here for a list of local stop smoking clinics.
Dominic Harrison, Director of Public Health, said:
Smoking tobacco is one of the biggest avoidable causes of premature death – however people can change this. Stopping smoking will have a dramatic positive impact on your health and the health of those around you, especially children, and is the single best health decision you can make this new year.
Councillor Brian Taylor, Assistant Executive Member for Health and Adult Social Care, said:
The new film featuring primary school children really brings home the damage that smoking does to your cardiovascular system. Most people are well aware of the effects of smoking on the lungs, but are less aware of the awful impact it also has on the heart and arteries. If you’d like help to quit contact our stop smoking service today, who can give you all the help you need.
View Public Health England’s film here.