Quit For ‘22
The annual NHS push to get smokers to quit for New Year is underway against a backdrop of pressure on household finances and knowledge of the impact on children of parents smoking
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by Dave Cross
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A packet of cigarettes has never been more expensive and an article in the Northumberland Gazette states: “Financial experts have warned working families will be more than £1,700 worse off by next April.”
The same experts point out that this financial hit on families could be eased by smokers quitting or switching away from tobacco.
The Department of Health and Social Care has pointed out that there is more than the financial cost of smoking to consider.
The Department said: “Top medical experts have warned that teens whose parents or caregivers smoked are 4 times as likely to take up smoking. Analysis has also shown that early teens whose main caregiver smoked were more than twice as likely to have tried cigarettes (26% versus 11% ) and 4 times as likely to be a regular smoker (4.9% versus 1.2%).”
Maggie Throup MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Vaccines and Public Health, said: “We know that many people make a quit attempt in January, and while there are so many good reasons to stop smoking for yourself, we hope that this new campaign – by highlighting the inter-generational smoking link with parents influencing their children – will be the added motivation many need to ditch the cigarettes for good this year.
“With so much help and support available for parents, carers and anyone looking to quit – including the NHS Quit Smoking app, support on Facebook, daily emails and texts, and an online Personal Quit Plan – you will not be alone in your new year’s resolution.”
Professor Nick Hopkinson of Imperial College London said: “Our research findings are clear – adult smoking has a tangible impact on children. Children whose caregivers smoke are 4 times as likely to take up smoking themselves. The most effective way to help prevent this would be for adults to quit smoking. Clearly not only does this have enormous benefits for them but it will also benefit their children both now and in later life.”
The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) is supporting smokers to switch to vaping in January with its free SmokeFree app at the UKVIA healthcare hub.
“If you’re a smoker discover why vaping could be the best resolution you make in 2022,” says the organisation.
An increasing number of Stop Smoking services are now offering free e-cig starter kits to smokers to help them make the change. The Northamptonshire Stop Smoking Service says it helped 841 smokers to successfully switch to vaping during 2021. Meanwhile, Yorkshire Cancer Research is helping Kirklees Council to make a similar offer to its smokers.
References:
- Parents who smoke, The Department of Health and Social Care - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/children-whose-parents-smoke-are-four-times-as-likely-to-take-up-smoking-themselves
- “Quit smoking and breathe easier this January”, NHS - https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/
- UKVIA Key Facts - https://www.ukvia.co.uk/key-facts-on-vaping/
- UKVIA Healthcare Hub - https://www.ukvia.co.uk/healthcarehub/
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
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