ARE you STILL smoking? Is your loved one a walking ashtray? Mmm, that must be nice for you both first thing in the morning.
Liverpool smokers and their puffing partners are being urged to take the plunge into a fag-free world together as annual health campaign Stoptober looms large on the calendar.
That's because people who quit smoking with their partner are 67 percent more likely to succeed, and 36 percent more likely to quit if a friend stops. Confidential staff know this to be true through personal experience 17 years ago and, hell, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
Yes, quitting smoking is doable but it's no barrel of laughs, so this time the campaign has enlisted some of the nation’s top comedians – Bill Bailey, Al Murray, Shappi Khorsandi and Rhod Gilbert. They will be sending funny texts and emails of support to people who sign up to stop throughout the month of October. There's also a mobile phone app to get on your case.
Organisers say a quarter of a million people across the country signed up to Stoptober last year with more than half making it to the milestone 28 days. They say that by stopping smoking for 28 days you are five times more likely to stop for good. This year it is expected the campaign will welcome the millionth sign up.
Lisa Williams, of Liverpool's stop-smoking charity, Roy Castle FagEnds, said: “Giving up smoking can be very difficult and we know it often takes more than one attempt for people to break the habit.
“FagEnds is here to support people throughout Stoptober and on into the future, so even if you’ve tried to quit before and not managed it yet, you shouldn’t give up on giving up.”
Coughing up Bogeys: You are more likely to stop smoking fags if you embark on it with a loved oneRoy Castle FagEnds provides a variety of free support, including group and one to one sessions with trained advisers and medication such as patches, inhalators and Champix.. Also available is support for people looking to give up e-cigarettes. In 2014, a total of 7,028 people in the city got support to quit smoking through Roy Castle Fag Ends, and half of them were successful.
Comic Rhod Gilbert who is supporting this year’s campaign says: “I smoked for about 25 years and probably spent 23 of those trying to quit, trying everything you can think of to kick the habit. I know first hand that it can be hard to find the motivation to quit, but Stoptober is the perfect time to give it a go. My advice to those taking on Stoptober would be to take the 28 days one day at a time."
This year’s campaign also coincides with new legislation in England and Wales making it illegal to smoke in a vehicle with someone under the age of 18 present.
To sign up to the nation’s biggest mass quit attempt, search Stoptober online or visit www.smokefree.nhs.uk/stoptober. People who want to use Roy Castle FagEnds can call 0800 195 2131.
