Stoptober is here: stopping smoking starts today

The aim is simple: stay smoke-free for 28 days.

Why 28 days? Because if you stop smoking for the 28 days of Stoptober, you’re five times more likely to quit for good.

Getting the right support can make quitting easier too. Free expert support from a local Stop Smoking Service gives you the best chance of quitting successfully. There are also free NHS tools to help you plan your quit attempt, manage cravings and stay on track.

So if you’ve been thinking about stopping, today is a good day to start.

There are lots of reasons to quit

Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health. And the benefits start almost immediately.

After just 8 hours, the harmful carbon monoxide in your blood has reduced by half. After 48 hours, your senses of taste and smell are improving. After 2 to 12 weeks, your circulation improves, and after 3 to 9 months, your lung function can increase by up to 10%.

But it’s not just about the long-term health benefits.

💷 You’ll have more money

Smoking can be expensive. The average smoker spends around £2,964 a year on tobacco – that’s almost £250 a month!

That’s money you could put towards the things that matter to you instead.

🧠 You can improve your mental health

It can be easy to feel that smoking helps with stress. But nicotine withdrawal can make you feel stressed or anxious, and having another cigarette relieves those feelings for a short time.

Research shows that people who stop smoking can experience lower levels of anxiety, depression and stress, as well as improvements in mood and quality of life.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Your family benefits too

Quitting doesn’t just improve your own health.

It can mean less exposure to second-hand smoke for the people around you, as well as more money to spend on family life and the things you enjoy together.

Getting the right support to help you

You don’t have to quit on your own. There’s free support available to help you plan your quit attempt, manage cravings and stay on track.

There are lots of different types of support, so you can find what works for you.

Free NHS support includes:

• the NHS Quit Smoking app, which gives daily support, tracks your smoke-free progress and shows how much money you’re saving
• the Personal Quit Plan, which helps you prepare for your quit date, understand your triggers and find the right support
• the Newcastle Stop Smoking Plus Service, where trained advisers can give you expert support, including stop smoking aids such as nicotine replacement therapy and vaping, which can help you manage cravings and stay smoke-free

If you’ve tried before, try again

Maybe you’ve tried to quit smoking before and it didn’t work out.

That doesn’t mean you can’t quit.

People can make many attempts before successfully stopping. Previous attempts are not failures. They can help you understand your triggers and work out what might help next time.

It’s never too late to quit.

Make today your first smoke-free day

Stoptober is about thousands of people making a quit attempt together.

You don’t have to do everything at once. Start with today. Get some support, work out what will help with your cravings and focus on getting through the next day.

Then the next one.

Get to 28 days and you’re five times more likely to quit for good.

Let’s quit smoking together this Stoptober.