More smokers stub it out

Give up smoking

Last year 1,815 local residents managed to successfully quit smoking, thanks to the help of the local NHS stop smoking service.

It is estimated that 24 per cent of adults in the Rochdale borough smoke, which is 3 per cent higher than the national average. Each year around 378 people from the borough die early because of smoking.

Ann Howarth, Stop Smoking Service Manager for Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It is a great achievement that so many people in the borough have successfully quit smoking. It’s one of the hardest things a person can do but research shows that smokers are four times more likely to quit using NHS support.

“The health and financial benefits of giving up smoking will be felt almost straight away. Within eight hours, nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in the blood will be halved, and after 24 hours, carbon monoxide and nicotine are eliminated from the body and oxygen levels are returned to normal. Coughs and wheezing will decline after three to nine months of not smoking. And in the long term, after ten years of not smoking, the risk of getting lung cancer falls to half of that of a smoker.”

Anyone wishing to stop smoking should call the stop smoking service on 0161 655 1581. The team will be able to advise on what treatments are available to help you quit, as well as provide support throughout your quit journey.