28 September 2022
Stoptober, the challenge which actively encourages people to quit smoking, celebrates its 11th
birthday this October.
The Stoptober challenge allows people who want to quit smoking a dedicated time to
concentrate on quitting smoking for good.
Evidence shows that not smoking a single puff for 28 days significantly increases the chances of
giving up for good.
Since Stoptober launched in 2012, local figures show that 954 people in Jersey have taken up the
challenge to quit for 28 days during October, with 46% still quit after four weeks.
This year the theme is to encourage smokers in routine and manual occupations to give quitting
a go. Evidence shows that:
- People who work in routine and manual occupations are more likely to smoke than
those in managerial and professional occupations (29% vs 13%).
- People in routine and manual occupations are also likely to have less disposable income,
spending a disproportionate amount of their income on tobacco.
- People on lower incomes are also likely to have poorer health and die younger, often
due to smoking.
Lead Stop Smoking Nurse Specialist from Health and Community Services’ Help2Quit team, Dr
Rhona Reardon, said: “We want to encourage all smokers to come forward this year to take part
in the Stoptober challenge. However, we particularly want to focus on people working in routine
and manual occupations as the proportion of these people who smoke remains high.
“Routine and manual workers are more likely to work with other smokers, than those in other
occupations and this can be a barrier to quitting. Employers can help encourage their workforce
to quit, for example by enabling staff time to attend stop smoking support. Smokers are likely to
take more breaks and have higher sick rates, so supporting staff to quit is good for business and
productivity as well as improving health
Quitting with others can increase the chances of being successful, for example quitting with a
partner. As well as improving physical health, there is significant evidence that stopping smoking
improves mental wellbeing. Evidence shows that following the short-term withdrawal stage of
quitting, people have reduced levels of anxiety, depression and stress, and increased positive
mood compared with those who continue to smoke”.
Stop smoking support is available to all Islanders who smoke, with 22 pharmacies in Jersey
providing help to quit. We also have a specialist service to support those people who may need
more support to quit, including people with physical or mental illness, pregnant women and
those smokers who have struggled to quit. The Help2Quit stop smoking service, including any
medication, is free of charge.
Smokers in Jersey who want to find out more about Help2Quit can visit gov.je/help2quit or call
0800 7351155. For further information about Stoptober, visit
www.nhs.uk/oneyou/stoptober/home.
gov.je