Smokers looking to quit as part of the annual Stoptober campaign are being warned not to go “cold turkey”.
Government health officials have said smokers stand a much greater chance of succeeding giving up by using official NHS support or turning t
o e-cigarettes.
Research has shown only 4% of those who go “cold turkey” remain smoke-free after a year.
But turning to nicotine replacement therapies, such as patches or lozenges, can increase that by 1.5 times.
And getting help from an NHS stop-smoking clinic leads to a four-fold rise in the chances of succeeding, according to Public Health England.
This year’s Stoptober campaign will see the introduction of a free online personal quit plan service.
It asks a number of questions and provides smokers with a suggested combination of support based on their level of tobacco dependency and what quitting support they have used previously. Read more