Published on 6 October 2022
Stoptober is back, calling on smokers in England to join more than 2.5 million others who have made a quit attempt with the campaign since it launched a decade ago in 2012.
Nearly 6 million adults in England still smoke, and it remains the single biggest behavioural cause of preventable death, with 64,000 deaths a year.
This year's Stoptober mass quit attempt is as important as ever, with quitting being one of the best things a smoker can do for their health. That’s why this year’s Stoptober campaign is encouraging smokers to join the thousands of others who are giving quitting a go for the month of October – making it to 28 days smoke free means you’re five times as likely to quit for good.
Quitting will allow you to start moving better, breathe more easily - and give you more money to spend.
Quitting with others, together with the range of support offered, means that Stoptober can trigger resolve and boost confidence, motivation and readiness, making smokers realise that they are stronger and better prepared than they think and setting them up for long term success.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England Dr Jeanelle de Gruchy said: “Smoking is a major cause of ill health, cancer and disability in England. Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health, please give it a go this Stoptober.”
Stoptober offers a range of free quitting tools including: the NHS Quit Smoking app, Facebook messenger bot, Stoptober Facebook online communities, daily emails and SMS, and an online Personal Quit Plan tool.
It provides information and advice on proven quitting methods - expert support from local Stop Smoking Services and the range of stop smoking aids, including further information on how vaping can help you quit. Just search ‘Stoptober’ for more information.