East Riding Stop Smoking Service is on a mission to stub out smoking for good!

Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust’s Healthtrainers, commissioned by East Riding of Yorkshire Council, want local residents to sign up to the Smokefree pledge to show their support in encouraging the region to go smoke free, to inspire and motivate others locally to stub out the habit for good.

There has been a substantial decrease in recent years in the number of people smoking in the East Riding area. With such fantastic results being seen across the locality, Healthtrainers want to ensure that by 2022 the region achieves its first ever Smokefree Generation with their East Riding Stop Smoking Service.

Smoking in the past was seen very much as a social norm, but by reducing the amount that smoking is seen, especially by children, the likelihood of them going on to smoke themselves as a young person or adult is much less.

Natalie Belt, East Riding Stop Smoking Service Manager said:

“The East Riding has surpassed national and regional averages, giving us one of the best smoking prevalence rates in the Yorkshire and Humber region. We want this to continue on into the future and ensure smoking is no longer seen as a social norm, especially in young children and adolescents. There have already been some significant changes over recent years from new legislation and tobacco laws including point of sale displays in supermarkets, law changes for smoking in cars and the smoking ban in 2007, but we want to do more on a local level. One in every two smokers will die as a result of their smoking in the East Riding which could have been prevented had an intervention happened sooner. This not only causes suffering and grief to their loved ones but has a significant financial burden on health and social care.”

Laurie Fergusson, Public Health Lead – Health Improvement at East Riding of Yorkshire Council said:

“We fully support the ambition set out by the East Riding Stop Smoking Service for a Smokefree generation by 2022.  Smoking prevalence in the East Riding has been reducing for a number of years and we want to make sure the next generation of children born and brought up in East Riding, never start smoking and grow up without the worries of the terrible health harms associated with tobacco and smoking. If you smoke, trying to quit is a great way to help make that happen.” 

The benefits of a Smokefree East Riding will provide many positives locally including, the potential to save over 600 lives a year lost prematurely to smoking, reduced hospital admissions and GP consultations and the potential to save up to £19 million in costs associated to smoking related diseases but more importantly a healthier, happier lifestyle that could be disease free.

By encouraging the next generation not to smoke, it will result in better health outcomes for future generations to come. Based on current successes there is great potential to achieve this and by helping spread the message of the importance of Smokefree homes, schools, parks, workforces, pregnancies and much more, we can make significant changes in our local communities.

The Stop Smoking Service, run by the NHS Healthtrainers, launched the Smokefree Generation East Riding Campaign on 1 October and it will run until they achieve a 6% reduction in smoking prevalence. With this campaign and the help and support of East Riding residents, they aim to be the first area in Yorkshire and Humber to achieve a Smokefree status.

Those who would like to refer themselves onto the service can call the team on 0800 9177752, text QUIT to 60163 or visit www.nhs-health-trainers.co.uk for further information. Sign the Pledge to make East Riding a Smoke Free region by 2022 here: http://www.nhs-health-trainers.co.uk/smokefree/sign-the-pledge/