Smoking-related hospital admissions in Hartlepool hit eight year high

From left, Leanne Watson, Stop Smoking Facilitator (North of Tees Stop Smoking Service), Alison Johns, Specialist Stop Smoking Advisor (NoT SSS), Dr Peter Brambley, Interim Director of Public Health at Hartlepool Borough Council, Angela Newton, Specialist Stop Smoking Advisor (Pregnancy and Families, NoT SSS), and Councillor Christopher Akers-Belcher, Chair of Hartlepool Borough Councils Health and Wellbeing Board and Leader of the Council and Ailsa Rutter, Director of Fresh.

Recent research has also found that almost 2,300 years of potential life are lost because of smoking-related illnesses in Hartlepool, say health bosses.

Stoptober is back and smokers in Hartlepool are being encouraged to give quitting another go – even if they’ve tried before.

Last year, nearly 400,000 smokers in England quit successfully, which is the equivalent to 1,069 smokers each day – one every 80 seconds.

Despite new smokers starting and ex-smokers relapsing, North East smoking rates have fallen by 44% since 2005 when 29% of North East adults smoked down to 16.2% of people in 2017 – around a quarter of a million fewer people smoking.

Dr Peter Brambleby, Hartlepool Borough Council’s Interim Director for Public Health, said: “We’re delighted to once again be supporting this year’s Stoptober campaign, encouraging smokers in Hartlepool to kick the habit for good.

“Recent research shows that almost 2,300 years of potential life are lost because of smoking-related illnesses in Hartlepool, whilst smoking-attributable hospital admissions are at an eight year high. The earlier a smoker quits, the better it is for their long-term health.

“No two people are the same, and therefore it’s important that smokers make a quit attempt with the support most suited to them. There is a wide range of quit aid choices available to choose from, so sign up today to take the Stoptober challenge and make this attempt your last.”

Councillor Christopher Akers-Belcher, chairman of the town's Health and Wellbeing Board and Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council said: “Stopping smoking is one of the most difficult things to do, but also one of the most rewarding for your health.

“I’d encourage people to sign up today to take the Stoptober challenge and quit smoking for good."

Six out of 10 smokers want to quit 2 and most try to quit using willpower alone (or ‘cold turkey’). However, the most successful quit attempts use a combination of effective stop smoking support methods.

The best way to quit is with expert help from local stop smoking services together with stop smoking aids. In 2017-18, half (51%) of smokers who got this package of support managed to quit and among those who used an e-cigarette in their quit attempt, the success rate was up to 63%.

New to this year, Public Health England’s Stoptober campaign is offering a free online ‘Personal Quit Plan’ to help smokers find the right stop smoking support for them. The online plan asks a number of questions and provides smokers with a suggested combination of support based on their level of tobacco dependency and what quitting support they have used previously.

Smokers will be advised that nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products are most effective when used in combination – an all-day patch together with a fast-acting option such as an inhalator or lozenges to help them deal with any immediate cravings.

For support and advice on quitting smoking in Hartlepool call the North Tees and Hartlepool Stop Smoking service on 01642 383819 or visit: www.nth.nhs.uk/services/stop-smoking-service.