The University College London study found that smoking is more harmful than previously thought – with each cigarette ‘stealing’ approximately 20 minutes of life from smokers, the equivalent of nearly 7 hours per average pack of 20 cigarettes.
Smoking is the number one preventable cause of death, disability and ill health in the UK. It causes around 80,000 deaths a year in the UK and 1 in 4 of all cancer deaths in England, and kills up to 2 thirds of its long term users.
Help and support is available to people who want to quit smoking through the free healthy lifestyles service, Live Well Wolverhampton. It offers people a 6 week supply of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) products or a 12 week supply of e-cigarettes, alongside 12 weeks’ behavioural support to help them stop smoking.
Commissioned by the City of Wolverhampton Council and delivered by Central Health Solutions, it is open to adults who live or are registered with a GP in the city. To register for support, please visit Live Well Wolverhampton.
Alternatively, people in Wolverhampton can ‘Swap to Stop’. The council has worked with the Government to make free vaping kits available to people through the city’s 8 Family Hubs and Central and Warstones libraries. Trained staff are on hand to offer support and weekly ‘check in’ sessions to help people on their quitting journey over a period of 12 weeks. For more information, and to sign up, please visit Swap to Stop.
Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing, said: “This research from University College London not only shows that smoking is an expensive and deadly habit, but also highlights the very real benefits of quitting.
“If you’re a 10 a day smoker and decide to quit today, you could save a day of your life by this time next week, a week of your life by early March, and 50 days of your life by this time next year.
“Stopping smoking really is one of the best things you can do to improve your current and future health, and it’s easier to do with the right help – so, if you are determined to quit in 2025, please take advantage of the support on offer through Live Well Wolverhampton or our Swap to Stop scheme.”