Quit Smoking with Stoptober

Stopping smoking is one of the best things you’ll ever do for health. Stoptober is a 28-day stop smoking challenge to help you stop smoking. download the free NHS Stoptober app to help you quit smoking an start breathing easier click here

What does the evidence say about COVID-19 and smoking?

The World Health Organization (WHO) has completed an analysis of 35 peer reviewed studies on the association of smoking with COVID-19. The review found that smokers are more likely to develop severe disease from COVID-19 than non-smokers, and in hospitalised patients with COVID-19, smoking was also associated with increased severity of illness and death.

A smaller study, quoted by Public Health England (PHE) in response to the findings, suggested that smoking was a significant predictor of disease severity, with smokers being 14 times more likely to develop severe respiratory disease than non-smokers.

It is an important time to consider giving up smoking, not only to reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19, but also to reduce the risk of severe disease associated with the infection.

The PHA commission approximately 600 specialists ‘Stop Smoking’ services across Northern Ireland, and smokers can access these services via a range of local settings including GP practices, pharmacies, hospitals, and community or voluntary groups. These services are specifically designed for smokers who are motivated and ready to quit, and who are prepared to set a quit date. Contact your GP for update to information of what services are currently running due to Covid restrictions.

In addition to specialist support, smokers interested in quitting are also able to request a ‘Quit Kit’ from the PHA’s stop smoking website. The website has been created with the involvement of smokers and ex-smokers to support people in their quit attempt. The site has information on the benefits of quitting, stop smoking aids and the current support available.

For more information visit www.stopsmokingni.info