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Smoking stubbed out in Rotherham

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@wathupondearne Latest news in Yorkshire: September 05, 2018 03:39:00 PM

Published on Wednesday, 5th September 2018 in Health and social care news

New figures released by Public Health England based on the Annual Population
Survey have shown that more people in Rotherham are kicking their smoking
habit .

There has been a 25 percent drop in the number of adult smokers since 2012.

The borough also has the lowest proportion of smokers in South Yorkshire
[16.2%] and the highest rate of quitters [3,395 per 100,000] who have
remained smoke free four week after quitting. Those in routine and manual
occupations in Rotherham are 1.6 times more likely to smoke than those in
other occupations, significantly less than the average 2.44 times for
England.

Rotherham Council is working hard with Parkwood Health Care through the Get
Healthy Rotherham programme, which delivers stop smoking services to people
wishing to quit. They offer a range of face to face, phone and online
options to provide tailored support, and Get Healthy Coaches offer support
and motivation, along with free stop smoking medicines including Nicotine
Replacement Therapy, to provide the best chance of success in quitting.

34-year-old Chris Johnson from East Dene quit earlier this year and already
feels the benefits. He said: “I wanted to stop smoking as I was fed up of
waking up every morning coughing and ending up with a chest infection every
six months – I’d decided I’d had enough.

“I’m so pleased I’ve had the support from Get Healthy Rotherham, and as well
as free nicotine patches and gum to help me quit, my advisor Angela was
always there to give advice and encouragement at our weekly appointments.
I’ve now been quit for over two months and I’m no longer coughing every
morning, I feel more energetic, my skin and teeth look better and when I go
out I’m no longer worrying where I can go to have a cigarette break.

“If you want to stop smoking, my advice is just go for it, there’s nothing
to lose and everything to gain!”

When smokers quit, the improvement to their health begins straight away.
Nicotine leaves the body within 48 hours, and taste and smell improves.
After one year the risk of heart disease is about half compared with a
person who is still smoking.

Councillor David Roche, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health and
Chair of the Rotherham Tobacco Alliance, said: “I am pleased to see the
trend in the number of smokers in Rotherham declining and the number of
quitters increasing. This number demonstrates that giving up the habit is
achievable, with plenty of options available to support quitters. This is
great in helping work towards making Rotherham more smoke-free, and
achieving the targets set out by the Government.”

For further information or to book an appointment please contact Get Healthy
Rotherham.

Get Healthy Rotherham is commissioned by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough
Council and delivered by Parkwood Healthcare Ltd.

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