Release date: 20 September 2023
West Sussex County Council’s Public Health team is urging smokers planning to quit this Stoptober to prepare early and seek free support to have the best chance of quitting for good.
There are plenty of free, stop smoking support services available across the county including at participating GP practices, pharmacies and via the West Sussex Wellbeing programme.
Tim Eves is one of those who has quit smoking with the help of the programme.
The 44-year-old from Rustington said: “My key motivation for quitting was my family. I want to be around for as long as possible and I knew that smoking was really going to affect this.
“I was on 20 cigarettes a day and had tried to quit before but without help. I never really thought I would be able to do it but with the fantastic support from Sally, a smoking cessation advisor at Horsham Wellbeing, I am now over three months smoke-free.
“Meeting up every week was such an important part of the process and really gave me the help and incentive I needed to carry on. I did have cravings along the way but never thought I was close to picking up a cigarette again.
“I feel so much healthier now and am currently training for a 10k run in support of Nerve Tumours UK, to help my youngest son Wilbur with his condition.”
Stoptober is a 28-day stop smoking challenge that takes place every October. It is based on research that shows if you stop smoking for 28 days then you're five times more likely to successfully stop smoking for good.
You can follow Tim’s lead by visiting the West Sussex Wellbeing website to find free local services that can help you or someone you know to successfully quit smoking.
You can also watch videos on our YouTube channel to hear how West Sussex Wellbeing’s stop smoking service can help you quit and how the service helped one man quit smoking with the service’s free support.
The West Sussex Wellbeing programme is a partnership between the county council and the county’s seven district and borough local authorities.
Councillor Bob Lanzer, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: “Stoptober is a time when many people decide to quit smoking. Quitting smoking will not only improve your health but also help you save money.
“Planning ahead and making use of the free support services available to you, as someone who lives or works in West Sussex, will really make a difference and help you quit smoking for good.”
