3,000 Cumbrians quit smoking with help from NHS

For the second year in a row, more than 3,000 Cumbrian smokers have successfully kicked the habit.

The latest stop smoking figures show the number of people that have quit with the help of free NHS services.

The Cumbrian statistics, covering the year from April 2010 to March 2011, show a total of 3,289 people managed to give up smoking.

They used a range of NHS support services including those offered by local pharmacies, Cumbria Stop Smoking Service and GPs.

It is estimated that one in four people in Cumbria still smoke and of these about 40 per cent will die from a smoking-related condition such as lung cancer, heart disease, stroke and other cancers.

But health experts say that once someone has quit smoking, their chance of improving their longer term health begins to increase. For example once someone has given up, within six months their risk of a heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker.

It is also proven that people are more likely to successfully quit with help. In 2009/10, 3,732 smokers across Cumbria gave up with NHS support, rising from 2,971 in 2008/09.

NHS services are free and confidential. They can be accessed in pharmacies, over the phone, through one-to-one meetings or group sessions in a range of locations.

Su Sear, a public health partnership specialist for NHS Cumbria, said appointments are available immediately.

She added: “It’s great news that over 3,200 people in Cumbria have taken the step to seek help to quit smoking and give up. We all know that smoking is bad for your health, but we mustn’t forget that it’s an addiction also, and that often in order to break the cycle of smoking people often need support. This is why it’s so important that people know that there is free, confidential help out there provided by the NHS in a range of locations.

“Stop smoking advisors and trained pharmacists can offer advice, support and a friendly ear to smokers wanting to give up. Alongside this they can also provide nicotine replacement therapies such as gums, nasal sprays, patches and medicines to help people quit on prescription. You can access support as many times as you need to and it’s never too late to quit.”

I am interested in some of these figures and claims....all smacks a bit of trying to justify my job from these 'health gurus'. I don't smoke but have known plenty of people who did and some who still do. I have noticed people who have given up for several years only to go back to cigarettes for one reason or another so it is undoubtedly a powerfully addictive drug. Would it be possible to get some perspective on these NHS claims?..for example how long does a person have to stay off cigarettes for before they are officially classified as a 'quitter' statistic? What is a 'smoking-related condition?', if I die with heart disease and have never smoked is that still smoking-related?, what is the estimated percentage of non-smokers in Cumbria who will die of lung cancer, heart disease, stroke and other cancers? so we can make a direct comparison. Come on NHS, put some arguments forward, it seems that you only want to quote one side of this....give us ALL the facts, non-smoker statistics too, and we can then judge if your work has been value for money. A point I note firstly on this is that my retirement age is moving further away because people are living longer, so what exactly have you helped me with?

I gave up 3 years ago with nicotine replacement therapy, however the patches made me irritated and I kept getting headaches, then I tried all the other things you can purchase, tabs, chewing gum, etc. once i stopped taking them I started back on the ciggies. :(

Then someone recommended "Alan Carrs Easyway to stop smoking" I read the book, smoked all the way through while reading. then stopped! No patches, headaches or willpower. I don't think it's right that the NHS has to pay for it. Millions are being spent on NRT for a misely 3 percent to actually stop, and I still don't believe that an addict should get his drug to learn to come off it's addiction, it's wrong on many levels!!!!