SMOKING rates in Yorkshire are the lowest ever on record, according to Public Health England.

As we have previously reported, the smoking rate across the region has fallen by 3.3 per cent over the past four years, to 18.6 per cent, and sales of cigarettes fell by 15 per cent in the past year.

From Friday, Stoptober - Public Health England’s campaign aimed at encouraging people to quit - returns for a fifth year with support and advice for quitters, including a Stoptober app, a Facebook Messenger tool, and information on local stop smoking services.

Former Bradford City manager Chris Kamara, ex-England cricketer Phil Tufnell, singer Natasha Hamilton and Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood have pledged to join the 28-day quitting challenge.

Last year, out of the 2.5 million smokers who made a quit attempt in Stoptober, 500,000 people were successful - the highest recorded success rate and up from just 13.6 per cent six years ago. In 2015, just over a million people used an e-cigarette while around 700,000 used a nicotine replacement product such as patches or gum. And more than 30,700 people in our region used a local stop- smoking service in 2015/16.

Dr Gina Radford, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, said: “While we know that quitting smoking is not easy, this Stoptober is a perfect time to try again. The best thing a smoker can do for their health is to stop smoking.

"There is more help and support available now than ever before. The introduction of standardised packs removes the glamorous branding and brings health warnings to the fore and e-cigarettes, which many smokers find helpful for quitting, are now regulated to assure their safety and quality.

“We have a range of free support that can go direct to your phone, laptop or tablet via the Stoptober app, a daily email service or Facebook Messenger bot. The new Stoptober website also has advice and information on stop-smoking services and quitting aids. Stoptober has helped lots of smokers quit for 28 days and beyond.”

Mark Lawrence, of Bradford, had smoked for 32 years, since the age of 14. When a friend asked if he would do Stoptober with him for moral support last year, Mark had no desire to quit his 30-a-day smoking habit. But he promised he’d try to quit for one day, thinking he’d never manage to last without a cigarette.

When he realised he was spending around £280 a month on cigarettes, he saw quitting as a way of saving money - and the financial incentive motivated him to go the whole Stoptober month smoke-free.

Mark used the Stoptober app and checked the Facebook page daily.

Knowing he wasn’t alone gave him the incentive to keep going, but admits the first week was hard.

“It was a constant battle, I kept thinking I needed to smoke,” says Mark.

“I did cave in that first week, smoked one cigarette and had a drag of another, but I didn’t let that stop me. In that first week, I’d normally have smoked 210 cigarettes, so there were 209 odd cigarettes I didn’t smoke.”

Quitting smoking led Mark to take on another personal challenge. He joined a gym, started running and bought a bike.

“I’d have never lost weight without giving up smoking, I was too out of shape,” he says.

“Now I’ve transformed my lifestyle, it’s fantastic. I cycled 13 miles last week - I wouldn’t have managed even 100 metres a few months ago!

“Stopping smoking may extend my life but getting into shape is going to improve my quality of life well into my retirement.”

Mark’s eldest son and daughter also used to smoke, but seeing their dad quit has inspired them to also stub out the cigarettes. Mark is more conscious of second-hand smoking.

“When the eldest two were little it wasn’t something I really thought about because smoking was more socially acceptable. But with my younger kids, I was much more aware. I’m glad they don’t breathe in my second hand smoke anymore,” he says.

Mark is now an ex-smoker, four stone lighter, fitter, financially better off and inspiring family and friends to transform their lives too. His journey isn’t over yet.

“I’m still losing weight,” he says.

“And I’m keeping up with the fitness and being sensible with what I eat. I’m looking forward to a much better quality of life and a longer life to come.”

For more about Stoptober visit nhs.uk

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