FORGET horror newspaper stories about gun crime, it is smoking that's going to get you in north and east Liverpool.
And according to statistics, residents living in social housing are most at risk because they light up more, living up to every Tory stereotype.
Time then, for a party to embrace “Stoptober” and make part of Croxteth a smoke-free zone. A good news story for a change.
Cobalt Housing hosted a Stoptober party to celebrate the success of families from the local community who have made significant progress to stop or reduce the amount they smoked.
The only rule of entry: no ciggies.
A new group of tenants who have signed up to the Smoke Free Families project were also invited to attend the party held at Cobalt Housing office in Croxteth. The 16 week project as been initiated by the socail landlord in a bid to empower tenants, in particular parents and grandparents to take responsibility of their lives and to make positive lifestyle changes to benefit themselves and their children.
Quit
The project works to help change family attitudes through weekly interactive sessions and offers support to not only the tenant but to their family.
The Stoptober party coincided with the national campaign which calls for all smokers to quit for 28 days. Stoptober, backed by Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation, hopes a united effort will help many of England's eight million smokers to quit successfully.
Each week in Croxteth, carbon monoxide readings are taken and the group’s stress levels monitored. The project also implements alternative measures such as holistic therapies to support the group through the week ahead.
Dee Williamson at the ‘Stoptober party said “I was spending £74 on cigarettes per week, 16 weeks into the project I am using this money to re-decorate my house and spoil my family over Christmas."
Cobalt tenant Lesley McKay said “I wanted to give up because of my family and my health. My son has asthma, I don’t think I help it by smoking. It has been an up and down experience but I feel very proud so far.”
