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Government of Jerseygov.je

Information and public services for the Island of Jersey

L'înformâtion et les sèrvices publyis pouor I'Île dé Jèrri

Stop smoking this Stoptober

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. 

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