How Tameside smokers can get help to quit

Smokers are being invited to attend an event tomorrow (Tuesday) to help them quit and make smoking history in Tameside.

The event will be held on Tuesday (March 10) at the Tameside Wellbeing Corner at the Ashton Indoor Market in support of No Smoking Day.

The Greater Manchester Making Smoking History Team is behind the national quit smoking campaign and is supporting the Tameside Tobacco-free Partnership by holding campaign activity for this year at the Tameside Wellbeing Corner. 

It will see Be Well Tameside and Hits Radio returning to raise awareness of the harms of tobacco and benefits of becoming smokefree.

Smokers are being encouraged to drop-in at the event to become smokefree and to access the stop smoking support through Be Well Tameside and the GM Health Hub. People will also receive freebies such as pens, trolley tokens and Public Health England’s One You smokefree wheels.

Cllr Eleanor Wills, Tameside Council Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Population Health, said: "Smoking is the biggest cause of death and illness in the UK. It’s important that we support smokers and help them to understand the positive health benefits they can have by stopping smoking and living a long and healthy life." 

Six in 10 people want to quit smoking but most try to quit using willpower alone (or ‘cold turkey’) despite this being the least effective method. The most successful quit attempts use a combination of effective stop smoking support methods such as getting support from a specialist stop smoking service such as Be Well Tameside.

Evidence has shown smokers are three times more likely to successfully quit smoking with specialist support than quitting on their own. Tameside's smoking rates are falling and it currently has a smoking rate of 17 per cent (adult smokers).

Smokers needing professional support to quit locally can contact Be Well Tameside, a free NHS stop smoking service, for an appointment on 0161 716 2000.

There is also lots of useful information to access on the GM Health Hub at https://www.gmhealthhub.org/