More than 600 smokers in Suffolk pledge to quit

An awareness drive that is aiming to help 1,000 people stop smoking in Suffolk is more than halfway towards achieving its goal.

We have been running the ‘1,000 Smokers Wanted’ campaign since the start of the year and have already had more than 600 people sign up and pledge to quit. We are now urging other smokers who haven’t yet signed up to do so before it’s too late.

Even if you’re not ready to quit just yet, we can work with you to set a quit date in the future and can help you to cut down the amount you’re smoking in the meantime. We can also offer support to people who are smoking e-cigarettes alongside normal tobacco products.

Henry Tapp, the Team Lead for Live Well Suffolk’s Stop Smoking Services, said: “One of the key factors to successfully quitting smoking is actually wanting to do it. If you’d like to give up smoking, but are not quite ready to quit for whatever reason – you might be going on holiday, for example – then you can still get in touch with us now for free support.

“Together we will choose a quit date that you’re comfortable with and as that gets closer, we can help you to gradually reduce the amount of tobacco that you’re smoking. That way, when your quit date does arrive, you will have already reduced your tobacco intake considerably so it won’t be as daunting.”

As part of our latest campaign, we have been working with local radio DJ, Tony Horton. Tony had smoked for a number of years and had tried to quit countless times before, without success. He’s been having one-to-one appointments every week on his Town 102 radio show and is encouraging fellow smokers to join #TeamTony and the 1,000 Smokers Wanted challenge.

Speaking about the support he’s receiving from us, Tony said: “I have been very impressed with Live Well Suffolk and the support they have given me. I have been a smoker for over 20 years and have tried many times to quit with no real success, so to be asked to join the 1,000 Smokers Wanted campaign was somewhat worrying!

“But the team at Live Well Suffolk have been great, especially their Senior Community Health Coach, Dan Ford, who has been supporting me every step of the way. I have an appointment with Dan every week and talk to talk to him about how I am doing and he listens and offers some really good advice. I’m really grateful to Dan and the whole Live Well Suffolk team for all their support during my stop smoking journey.”

To sign up to our 1,000 Smokers Wanted challenge, text QUIT to 80011 or call us on 01473 229292. All of the stop smoking support we provide will be delivered by trained advisors who are very experienced in helping people to quit.

For more information, visit www.livewellsuffolk.org.uk.