- Remind yourself of the reasons you decided to quit in the first place;
- Make a list of all the good things quitting smoking has given you so far;
- Keep busy and if you want to smoke, distract yourself – cravings shouldn’t last for more than five minutes;
- Use the money you have saved from not buying cigarettes to buy yourself something special;
- Go for a walk or try a new sport now you can breathe more easily;
More than 200 people in Leicestershire took the Stoptober challenge of giving up smoking during last month's campaign.
Figures show that 273 people were supported during the awareness month by the county council's in-house QuitReady service.
We're delighted that so many Leicestershire residents took part in Stoptober as quitting can be difficult. We know that smoking remains a leading cause of premature death so we actively support any measures which help people to give up and I'd encourage people to sign up for our free service.
Person:County councillor Ernie White, cabinet member for healthEvidence shows that someone who has quit for 28 days is five times more likely to quit for good.
QuitReady advisors say that the first 12 months as an ex-smoker may still present challenges and have issued some top tips:
You can contact QuitReady for stop smoking advice and support, including free stop smoking medication, by calling 0345 646 66 66 or text 'ready' to 66777 or visit: www.quitready.co.uk