Thousands of smokers quit habit

THOUSANDS of smokers in Suffolk have quit in the last year, new figures have shown today.Between April 1, 2007 and January 12, 2008, just under 2,600 people stubbed out the habit with the help of the Suffolk Stop Smoking Services.

THOUSANDS of smokers in Suffolk have quit in the last year, new figures have shown today.

Between April 1, 2007 and January 12, 2008, just under 2,600 people stubbed out the habit with the help of the Suffolk Stop Smoking Services.

Department of Health data shows Suffolk has a quit rate of 429 per 100,000 people aged 16 and over, which is above the national average of 400 and is the second highest in the eastern region.

Sally Hogg, Suffolk Primary Care Trust's head of health improvement partnerships, said: “Smoking still kills 1,200 people every year in Suffolk and is the biggest preventable cause of death.

“We have been working very closely with the Suffolk Stop Smoking Services and we are delighted that these figures show our joint approach is working well.

“In recent months we have developed a number of new ways of encouraging more people to give up smoking. These include setting up stop smoking clinics in pubs, social clubs and community centres and offering support services through the workplace.

“Stopping smoking has immediate benefits to health and help to quit is available.”

For more information about Suffolk Stop Smoking Services call 0800 0856037.