Published on: 28 December 2022
People who smoke are being encouraged to quit this New Year to improve life in 2023 with better health, more money and less stress.
That’s the message from Fresh to encourage smokers to give it another go in 2023 with the launch of the Don’t Wait quit campaign in the North East and North Cumbria.
With the worries of 2022 and cost of living crisis deepening, making a successful quit this New Year can make life so much better:
- A healthier New Year: easier breathing, fewer coughs and colds and less risk of a smoking-caused disease such as cancer, heart attack, stroke and COPD
- More money in the New Year: quitting smoking will give you money you didn’t know you had – around £200 a month
- Less stress: quitting smoking is proven to leave people feeling calmer and happier after a few weeks. If you can get past the first few weeks you can come out the other side with noticeable improvements in mental health
When most people are counting the cost of Christmas, stopping smoking can give you money you never knew you had. Taking tobacco out of your spending could give you an extra £47 a week and extra £2,451 a year which could pay for the average household annual energy bill (£2,500).
Visit the North East quit smoking hub at FreshQuit.co.uk for free advice and quitting support, to see how much extra money you could have in your pocket, and to try the quitting quiz.
The Don’t Wait campaign launches on TV from Thursday, December 28, across the North East and North Cumbria ICS area with a plea to quit smoking from Dr Ruth Sharrock, a Consultant Respiratory Physician.
One film outlines the immediate benefits of stopping on the body over days and weeks, while another asks people to think about what it would be like receiving terrible news about a smoking-related disease.
The Don’t Wait campaign will also be seen and heard on radio, catch-up TV and on Facebook.
Ailsa Rutter OBE, Director of Fresh and Balance, said:
"Thousands of people try to stop smoking in January and with this campaign we hope to give people a bit of extra motivation. We recommend people use a quit aid and get free local support to stop to make the process less stressful and more successful.
"Stopping smoking is one of the biggest gifts you can give to your loved ones and to yourself this New Year. There aren’t many things that can bring more money and better health. Quitting can make life a lot better for you and your family – feeling better, more money and less stress."
Dr Ruth Sharrock, Consultant Respiratory Physician and Clinical Lead for Treating Tobacco Dependency on behalf of North East and North Cumbria NHS, said:
"Smoking causes so many serious diseases such as 16 types of cancer, heart disease and stroke. If you smoke you probably know it’s important to quit sooner rather than later– don’t wait another year.
"Smoking also makes you feel worse day to day, can leave you out of breath and cause a persistent cough and make you more vulnerable to chest infections.
"But the benefits of stopping begin almost immediately as you flush the poisons out of your body and your lungs and circulation start to recover.
"The benefits of quitting just get better as the weeks and months go by and you give yourself the best chance to be around with your family in the future."
Click here to learn more about Michael's story and find out how much more money could be saved by quitting smoking.
