New campaign launched to help smokers stub out the habit

Salix Homes is supporting a major new campaign to encourage smokers in Greater Manchester to quit.

The ‘exsmoker’ campaign, which has been commissioned by the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, will be launched on National No Smoking Day (13 March), and centres on the real-life experiences of former smokers from across Greater Manchester.

While reminding smokers of the serious health impacts of tobacco, the campaign primarily emphasises the personal benefits of quitting.

Residents involved in the campaign include Jacub Sabo-Dutten, of Stockport, who started smoking at the age of twelve. He says: “I would have paid for cigarettes over food at one point of my life. It might take time, and a lot of effort, to quit – but you can definitely do it.”

The campaign launches as new analysis reveals that between 2012 and 2017 (the most recent figures available) more than 400 people a week successfully stopped smoking in Greater Manchester.

It also comes a few months after Salix Homes took part in a pilot study with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to encourage tenants across the city to switch to vaping. Over 1,000 smokers across Salix Homes communities were provided with free e-cigarette starter kits as part of the initiative, 63% of whom had managed to ditch cigarettes completely after four weeks.

Sarah Price, Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership’s Director of Population Health, said: “Over the past five years over 106,000 people in our region have stopped smoking for good. While this is great news, we want to empower and support even more people to join them. The sad fact is that smoking still kills 13 Greater Manchester residents a day. That’s why we’re determined to make smoking history in our region.

“Stopping can be hard but there are many ways you can successfully quit, even if you’ve tried before. We’ve put local exsmokers from across Greater Manchester at the heart of our new campaign to inspire thousands more people to quit and show that, no matter your situation, you can stop smoking.”

The right advice, support and motivation can help you to quit for good. For information, visit GMHealthHub.org or call the GM Stop Smoking Helpline, 0300 123 1044. Advice and support is also available from:

• Your local pharmacy
• GP advice and prescription
• Local stop smoking services (further information and service contacts are available at GMhealthhub.org/smoking)