Newham Council is calling on the borough’s smokers to use World No Tobacco Day as an opportunity to quit the habit. Quit Well Newham is partnering with the council’s drug and alcohol service, Change Grow Live Newham Rise, to offer advice, information and support at a dedicated event on Friday 31 May.
The Change Grow Live event, from 10am to 12pm in Canning Town, will see Quit Well Newham advisors highlighting the benefits of the free stop smoking service. Quit Well Newham is currently offering free eight week vape starter kits to support adult smokers to quit smoking. The service offers 12 weeks of expert advice and support for smokers and smokeless tobacco users intending to quit.
Councillor Neil Wilson, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, said:
“The thought of giving up smoking can be difficult but World No Tobacco Day can be used as an opportunity to kick-start your no smoking journey. Residents who are in need of support should know they are not alone. Tobacco use can be harmful and deadly.
“We want all smokers to join our Quit Well Newham service. Residents will be offered free advice and support from a trained practitioner to quit smoking for up to 12 weeks. The service also offers nicotine-replacement therapy and regulated vapes, which are in line with guidance from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
“This World No Tobacco Day, take the first step. You will have more time, more money and may see huge health benefits as a result.”
Figures show by joining Quit Well Newham, smokers are four times more likely to quit than if they were to do it on their own. Since Quit Well Newham launched, there have been 4,839 referrals into the service and over 1,000 quits. The service also offers nicotine replacement treatment. Support is available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Gujarati and Lithuanian. BSL Support is also offered.
The theme of World No Tobacco Day 2024 is focused on advocating for an end to the targeting of youth with harmful tobacco products. As stated by the World Health Organization (WHO), data from 2022 shows at least 37 million young people aged 13 to 15 use some form of tobacco. Meanwhile, research highlighted by Action on Smoking and Health shows the younger the age of uptake of smoking, the greater the harm is likely to be; early uptake is associated with subsequent heavier smoking, higher levels of dependency, a lower chance of quitting, and higher mortality.
In the UK, there has been a decrease in the prevalence of young people smoking cigarettes, although the number of young people currently vaping has increased. Vaping is less harmful than smoking being an effective quit aid for adult smokers, but is not recommended for young people aged under 18. Research has found young people are four times more likely to be a regular smoker or misuse substances if they live in a household, which smokes, drinks or take drugs.
Marika White, Newham resident who has used the Quit Well Newham service, said:
“Previously, I have accessed stop smoking support but the advisor did not have experience of smoking which made it difficult for them to understand my struggles.
“The one to one sessions Quit Well Newham offer are great, as they are regular. It helped that the advisors were lovely as the experience was more personable. Since quitting smoking, my exercise routine has been more consistent than usual, less alcohol, as I no longer socially smoke. My favourite part of the programme has been recapping my journey and being proud of my achievement to quit smoking.
“My advice would be if you are thinking of quitting, make sure you are ready, be committed, be consistent and consider other changes to go alongside quitting smoking.”
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable illness and premature death. As highlighted by the NHS, cigarettes flood the body with thousands of chemicals, many of which are poisonous. As soon as a person stops smoking the body starts clearing itself of all the toxins, and the repair process begins.
For more information on World No Tobacco Day, including how to access support, visit www.wellnewham.org.uk/stop-smoking.