Stoptober is a 28-day smoking free challenge, which began on the first of October. This is the tenth year the campaign has been launched, on the basis that if you give up smoking for 28 days you are more likely to quit long-term.

Latest Office for National Statistics in 2019 estimated that around 6.9 million people in the UK smoked cigarettes. In Kent specifically though the number of people who smoke has fallen from 15% to 13.7%. 

A GP from St Mary’s Island surgery in Chatham spoke about the importance of the campaign and why Kent encourages this: 

Dr Julian Spinks said: “Stoptober is used as a means to get people already planning to quit to take actual steps to do so. Around a third of smokers wish to quit but often this has not solidified into active planning. The campaign helps people quit by providing support such as quit plans and by informing them of stop smoking services.”

He added: “The long-term percentage success rate of Stoptober is similar to the other stop smoking schemes as relapses happen, as they do in any addiction but by raising the number of people quitting, the absolute numbers of ex-smokers rise.”

There are several community groups and charities across the county that aim to reduce the number of smokers in Kent.

Jo Pearce from Balanced Body and Mind encourages the idea of hypnotherapy as a method to eliminate smoking. 

Jo uses methods such as cognitive behavioural therapy, neuro-linguistic programming and even Reiki therapy. 

She said hypnotherapy is “well-known to help quit smoking, it talks to the conscious mind and can even reprogramme the mind to make you hate the taste, smell and change your habits”.

She recommended “finding something to replace cigarettes so you’re not left with a hole in your life and give yourself distractions”. 

You can find more help and advice on the Stoptober website: https://www.blf.org.uk/take-action/campaign-with-us/stoptober

By Sofia Akin