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Stop smoking, Start Living in Buckinghamshire
A HARD-HITTING campaign has been launched across Buckinghamshire in a bid to encourage hundreds of smokers in the county to quit.
'Quit for Life' is using graphic images to drive home the message that smoking kills.
The slogan: "Five minutes smoking a cigarette takes 12 minutes off your life," is just one of the messages being put out to encourage smokers to give up.
The campaign, which is believed to be the largest one of its type ever to take place in Great Britain, covers nine Primary Care Trusts under the South Central Strategic Health Authority.
Director of Public Health at Buckinghamshire Primary Care Trust, Dr Jane O'Grady says the challenge has been set to meet the Buckinghamshire target for 2, 736 smokers to have stopped smoking by the end of 2008.
She said: "Giving up smoking is the single most useful thing anyone can do as it has been proven to improve health, mortality, and mood".
Two 'battle' buses will be touring the county on 9th and 11th March, stopping off at ASDA supermarket in High Wycombe on 10th March. Advisors on the buses will be offering help and support to smokers who want to quit.
This will include age progression technology, carbon monoxide monitoring and a team of advisors will also be on board to talk to smokers and offer encouragement.
Everyone visiting the bus will also be presented with a pen which will have the helpline number printed on to it to ensure help is never far away.
Free fruit will also be handed out as part of an eat healthy message and to show how, after quitting smoking, even for just a few days, food tastes completely different.
Smoking cessation clinics and an extensive telephone support service, which will be run by health professionals, will also form part of the campaign, together with specialist clinics in the workplace and shopping centers.
Smokers are four times more likely to quit using the Buckinghamshire Stop Smoking service. For free help and support, contact: 0845 27 07 222 or visit: www.smokescape.org
Facts and Figures:
? Smoking prevalence is 19% which equates to approx.80,000 15+ adult smokers (DH/SEPHO Health Profile 2007)
? An estimated 3,699 admissions to hospital were related to smoking (2005/06)
? An estimated 2m (2005/06) was spent on outpatient attendance attributable to smoking related illness
? One year after stopping smoking, the risk of a heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker and within five years falls to a similar level to that of a non-smoker.
? Within 10 years of quitting smoking, an ex smoker's risk of developing lung cancer is only slightly greater than that of a non-smoker.
? One year after stopping smoking, the risk of a heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker and within five years falls to a similar level to that of a non-smoker.
? Within 10 years of quitting smoking, an ex smoker's risk of developing lung cancer is only slightly greater than that of a non-smoker.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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