Smokers in the Vale Urged to Quit

SMOKERS in the Vale are being urged to stub their cigarettes out and join a 28-day quitting challenge. Stoptober, the first ever mass quit attempt launched by the Department of Health, gets underway on Monday, October 1. The campaign is backed by Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation and is bidding to encourage the nation's eight million smokers to give up. People who stop smoking for four weeks are five times more likely to stay smoke free and Stoptober will lead smokes through a detailed step-by-step programme to help them achieve this. Dr Frances Howie, assistant director of public health for NHS Worcestershire, said: "After a fantastic summer of hearing inspirational athletes talk about setting goals and achieving them, here is a chance for smokers to achieve a personal best. "Giving up smoking is the single most important thing you can do to improve your health and in the current financial climate it is probably the most important thing you can do to improve your finances too." Anyone who joins receives a preparation pack, 28-day Quit Calendar and Health & Wealth wheel. Smokers will also receive support and encouragement through a daily messaging service, inspiration from celebrity mentors, and expert advice via a Stoptober app available through Smartphones, motivational text messages and a Facebook page.