NUMBERS of people who have successfully quit smoking in Suffolk has dropped.

NUMBERS of people who have successfully quit smoking in Suffolk has dropped.

According to figures released yesterday there were 3,140 smokers in the county who vowed to give up between April and September last year.

Of these 1,563 successfully quit - the equivalent of just over eight people a day. For the same period in 2007 3,826 vowed to quit - of which 2,032 were successful.

Hilary Andrews, Suffolk Stop Smoking Service co-ordinator, said the fall could be explained by the smoking ban, introduced in 2007 which spurred people on to give up.

She said: “However, now things have gone a little quiet and I think people have forgotten that we are here. The last thing we want to do is make smokers feel got at - that's not what we want to do at all.

“When they are ready to quit we want them to know what support is available and how to get it.”

Mrs Andrews said there were around 170 different venues where people could get stop smoking support in Suffolk, which includes Saturday clinics in Bury St Edmunds and Ipswich, one on one and group sessions and clinics at GP surgeries and pharmacies.

Anyone who needs help to give up smoking should contact the Suffolk Stop Smoking Service on 0800 0856 037, by e-mail at suffolk.stop.smoking@ipswichhospital.nhs.uk or by text on 01473 704314.