A new month-long campaign has been launched in the city to help stop people smoking.
Sheffield City Council wants smokers to know that they are strong enough to quit, and are three times more likely to succeed with free local support.
The campaign, Smokefree Sheffield, hopes to help people stop smoking and improve their health.
Smoking can have major impacts on an individual’s health and wellbeing and puts an extra burden on finances.
By quitting smoking, people will have more money for food, clothing and education, as smokers quitting this New Year could help put £5,000 back in their pocket annually.
Whilst 60% of smokers want to quit, half of them try to quit through willpower alone, despite this being the least effective method.
As part of the January campaign, adverts will be shown throughout the city on buses, poster sites and social media to encourage quitters to reach out to the local stop smoking service for free help and support.
Greg Fell, Director of Public Health Sheffield, said: “January can be a hard time financially for a lot of people, but it is also a great time to make positive changes in your life.
“Quitting smoking not only improves health but also means people have more money to spend on other things, and that’s a great way to see instant rewards and benefits.”
He added: “As part of the new campaign, smokers are being urged to access the stop smoking service for free, where they have access to a community of ex-smokers and a dedicated stop smoking advisor who will continue to motivate them through their attempt.
“They will also advise of the right tools for them, such as Nicotine Replacement Therapy or switching to e-cigarettes.
“Our message to smokers this new year is ‘you are strong enough to quit, and if you’re ready, we have an outstanding local stop smoking service, with advisors who will find the right way for you.”
Smokers in Sheffield are able to get free advice and support to quit through Yorkshire Smokefree Sheffield and the Smokefree Sheffield website www.smokefreesheffield.org
