You’ve got what it takes to quit this Stoptober!

Stoptober is nearly here and now is the time to give stopping smoking a go.

Blackburn with Darwen Council is backing the annual stop smoking campaign, Stoptober, which starts on Saturday, October 1.

‘You’ve got what it takes to quit this Stoptober’ is the focus for this year’s campaign. As well as highlighting the benefits of quitting, the campaign aims to motivate smokers by helping them believe that they can kick the habit.

By joining Stoptober, they’ll have the support of the thousands of others who are making a quit attempt during October. Although the campaign is aimed at all smokers, this year there is an aim to target 25-50 year-old routine and manual worker smokers, who make up one of the highest proportion of smokers in the UK.

There are a number of awareness raising events being held in Blackburn with Darwen, in partnership with Active Lancashire, during October including:

• 3rd – Cafe Hub Drop In session, Foundry St, Darwen – 12-2pm
• 5th – Albion Mill Drop In – 10-1
• 6th – BwD Council Awareness event, Darwen Childrens Centre – 11am – 2pm
• 7th – Asda Awareness Stand Blackburn
• 10th – Cafe Hub Drop In session, Foundry St, Darwen – 12-2pm
• 11th – Cancer Research UK Health Stand, Ainsworth St Blackburn: timing tbc
• 12^th – BwD Council Awareness event, Duke Street 11-2pm
• 17th – Cafe Hub Drop In session, Foundry St, Darwen – 12-2pm
• 19th – Albion Mill Drop In 10-1
• 20th – Blackburn Market Cancer Research UK Health Stand: timing tbc
• 24th – Cafe Hub Drop In session Foundry St, Darwen – 12-2pm
• 27^th – BwD Council Awareness event, Blackburn Town Hall 11-2pm
• 31st – Cafe Hub Drop In session Foundry St, Darwen – 12-2pm

If you’re thinking about stopping, or reducing smoking, in BwD you can access the Stop Smoking Service by visiting a participating pharmacies and speaking to a specialist advisor about Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT).

You can also access personalised support, motivation and encouragement from Wellbeing Service Health Trainers by calling (01254) 682037, email: wellbeing@blackburn.gov.uk  or visit our website for a list of pharmacies providing the Stop Smoking Service: https://refreshbwd.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Stop-Smoking-Service-posters-2022.pdf

Smoking prevalence in Blackburn with Darwen has continued to reduce since 2011, falling from 27.1% to 15.1%, with the borough’s 4-week quit rate similar to the North West and England values.

Since it first launched 11 years ago, Stoptober has helped over 2.5 million people make a quit attempt. This year, the campaign is helping the nearly 6 million smokers in England build their confidence and give quitting a go.

Councillor Damian Talbot, Executive Member for Public Health, Prevention and Wellbeing, said:

Quitting or reducing smoking can be really hard, but Stoptober is a great time to do it. There is so much support out there in Blackburn with Darwen during this campaign and we want to make it as easy as possible for everyone giving it a go this year.

Giving up smoking is the single most immediate and important action we can take to improve our health and wellbeing, help to improve life expectancy and reduce hospital admissions so I’m delighted to see that the smoking rate continues to drop in the borough.

I hope everyone who is thinking of giving up smoking will take advantage of the sessions and support available throughout October and give a smoke-free life a chance.”