Free help to quit smoking in Barnsley this Stoptober

October marks the start of Stoptober, the national campaign that encourages smokers to go smokefree for 28 days. Research shows that people who manage to stay off cigarettes for that length of time are five times more likely to quit for good.

Since the campaign began, more than 2.5 million people across the country have used it to start their own quit journey, with many reporting better health, wellbeing and finances as a result.

The health benefits start surprisingly quickly. Within 20 minutes of your last cigarette, your pulse rate begins to return to normal. Within days, carbon monoxide and nicotine leave the body, oxygen levels improve and taste and smell can sharpen.

Over a longer period, breathing becomes easier, circulation improves and the risk of serious conditions such as heart disease drops significantly.

In Barnsley, free support is available from the QUIT Team, based at the Oakwell Unit. Specialist advisers offer practical advice and access to stop smoking treatments, and you can reach them on 01226 644130 or by emailing QUITBarnsley.OakwellUnit@swyt.nhs.uk.

Support is also available across South and West Yorkshire through Yorkshire Smokefree, which can be contacted on 0330 660 1166.

Professor Subha Thiyagesh, Chief Medical Officer at South West Yorkshire Partnership Teaching NHS Foundation Trust, said every successful quit attempt is a significant achievement and an investment in better health, adding that people are much more likely to succeed when they access evidence-based advice and practical support.

Whether you have tried to stop before or this is your first attempt, advisers say Stoptober can be the moment that changes things.