25 years of stop smoking services and thousands of successful quitters!

The success of Stop Smoking Services lies in its evidence-based approach. Smokers who use these services are up to three times more likely to quit successfully compared to those who try to quit unaided. This has contributed to smoking rates halving since 2000, with adult smoking prevalence across the region falling from around 26 per cent in 2000 to under 13 per cent in 2024.  

Stop smoking services offer a combination of free behavioural support along with access to stop smoking products and medications. Behavioural support is an effective way of helping people who smoke to work out how is best for them to avoid their triggers for smoking. It's more than just a conversation with an expert; it offers a chance to really understand how to fill the gaps that smoking seems to leave and move forward without regrets.

Stop smoking advisor at York and Scarborough Hospitals, Gillian Cunningham said:

"It's all the subtle changes, which together, make a huge difference. 

"For example, if your normal routine is to switch on the kettle and light up a cigarette in the morning, a simple action such as moving your kettle, or putting the radio on first helps to break that ingrained habit and gives you space to make a conscious decision not to smoke rather than just going on autopilot. 

"Stop smoking advisors have hundreds of tips and tricks that they've built up over years of working with people to help find a way that works for you. Always remember that they are never judging you, and many advisors were former smokers themselves, so they get it. In addition to support, we can give you nicotine replacement items like patches, inhalators and gum, or a vape, and advice on how to use them properly to give you the best chance of success"

See Gillians video here: https://youtu.be/VwEUhOVmRGg?si=RHPUhD27Qe-e_4OT

Since they were established, Humber and North Yorkshire's stop smoking services have consistently been among the best in the country at helping people to quit and because they are local to you, help is far closer to hand than you might think.

Scott Crosby, Associate Director for the Humber and North Yorkshire Centre for Excellence in Tobacco Control said:

"It's encouraging to see that we've recently had the highest numbers of people setting a quit date with stop smoking services in Humber and North Yorkshire since pre-covid times. 

"The Tobacco and Vapes bill which is currently working its way through Parliament will have a huge effect on smoking, encouraging more people to give quitting a go. So long as the government continue to commit to properly funded stop smoking services, we really could be at the cusp of ending smoking and the ill health, poverty and heartbreak it causes"

Mhairi Rees has been a stop smoking advisor for 20 years at Smokefree Hull:

"I've seen some huge changes over my time as a stop smoking advisor, the biggest of which being the indoor smoking ban, which came into effect in the UK in 2007.

"People were used to just being able to smoke wherever they wanted, and suddenly it wasn't allowed inside anymore. This meant we had a huge amount of people who wanted to quit for a variety of reasons, and the government had also put extra funding into stop smoking services so we could support people to do so, and it really worked. 

"When you look at the reduction in the number of people smoking, it dropped dramatically following the introduction of the ban."

Here is a video of Mhairi chatting about the changes in stop smoking services: https://youtu.be/LrYtONto7mg?si=wgo7JI4Uq-9T528Y

Mhairi has helped hundreds of people to quit during her time with Smokefree Hull, one of her clients, John said:

“Mhairi, my SmokeFree Advisor, was really nice and friendly. She was consistent with her calls and support, which I found valuable and allowed me to gain some structure. We’d chat about other things as well, so it wasn’t just straight down to business.”

Dave Jones, programme manager for the Centre for Excellence in Humber and North Yorkshire, and former stop smoking advisor said:

"If you'd have told me back in 2004 when I started working as a stop smoking advisor that stop smoking services would have been so successful at helping people to stop, I'd not have dared to believe you. As much I'm looking forward to the day when everyone who wants to stop has done so, there's still so much more we can do to help.

"Every year I hear the same story from people who never thought they could give up, who are trying the stop smoking services almost as a last resort. "Do you know what, I don't know why I didn't try this sooner, but I thought it wasn't for me". If I could say one thing to everyone who wants to stop, it's that free expert advice and support will make more of a difference than you'd think, so don't let anything stop you from getting what you want."

To find your local stop smoking service, visit www.yestoquit.co.uk