Over 300 try to give it up during Stoptober

MORE than 300 people in Leicestershire attempted to ditch the cigarettes as part of last month’s Stoptober challenge.

The county council has revealed that a total of 332 people were supported by its in-house QuitReady service.

Councillor Pam Posnett, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “We are delighted that more than 300 Leicestershire residents took part in Stoptober as kicking the habit can be difficult.

“Sadly, smoking is still a leading cause of premature death which is why we would encourage people to sign up to our free service.”

Evidence shows that people who quit for 28-days are five times more likely to stop smoking food for good.

However, QuitReady advisors say that the first 12 months as an ex-smoker may still present challenges and so they have issued some top tips to stay smoke free.

These include; reminding yourself of the reasons you decided to quit in the first place, keeping busy by distracting yourself, making sure you are taking on board the support from family and friends and treating yourself with the money you have saved through quitting smoking.

You can contact QuitReady for stop smoking advice, support and more information by calling 0345 646 66 66, by texting ‘ready’ to 66777 or by visiting www. quitready.co.uk.