Get help to stop smoking

In Leicester, approximately 2,800 of all hospital admissions (per 100,000) – are for smoking-related illnesses and over 400 people in Leicester die every year - all of which can be prevented by quitting smoking.

Smoking increases your risk of developing over 50 serious health conditions including lung cancer, cancer in many other areas of the body, a stroke, heart attack, coronary heart disease and pneumonia. 

Some of the health benefits of quitting smoking include:

• Breathing becomes easier
• Increased energy levels
• Better blood circulation to vital organs and your muscles
• Improved lung function which will reduce coughing and wheezing
• Lower risk of a heart attack and lung cancer
• Reduced anxiety, depression and stress levels

Along with the health benefits, quitting saves the average smoker over £160 a month and almost £2,000 a year. The cost to the NHS in Leicestershire is estimated to be around £58.8 million a year, and £17.8 million in Leicester.

Quitting smoking will also help to protect your loved ones from second hand smoke which can cause harm to their health. It will also mean that it’s less likely your children will become smokers, as teenagers whose parents or caregivers smoke are 4 times as likely to take up smoking.

Live Well Leicester provides behavioural support and treatment for up to 12 weeks to smokers in Leicester who want to quit and you are 4 times more likely to be successful in your quit attempt with help and support.

Our stop smoking team can be contacted by email or by calling 0116 454 4000.

E-cigarettes or vapes

Using e-cigarettes or vapes can be highly effective in quitting smoking. The advantages of using vapes as a quitting tool to help people to give up smoking in Leicester are widely known. Anyone wishing to swap cigarettes for e-cigarettes can do so with the help of the Live Well services. E-cigarettes or vapes are used to help people quit smoking, people who do not smoke should not vape. It is illegal to sell vapes to anyone under the age of 18. 

More information can be found on our E-cigarette or vapes section.

The CURE Project

The CURE Project operates within University Hospitals Leicester and is a treatment program focused on tackling smoking. It's available to smokers who are hospitalised and delivers instant nicotine replacement therapy, medication, and specialist support to patients.

Smoking in pregnancy

If you smoke when you’re pregnant, you put your unborn baby’s health at risk as well as your own. Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of complications such as miscarriage, premature (early) birth, stillbirth or a low-birth-weight baby.

If you are pregnant and want to quit smoking, the Maternity CURE project can offer you support. 

Standardised packaging

All packs of cigarettes are now sold in plain, drab packaging and display prominent health warnings.

Evidence shows that plain packs are less attractive to young people and can help prevent them from starting to smoke in the first place. It is hoped the standard packs will make health warnings more effective and help persuade more smokers to give up.

Stoptober

If you can make it to 28 days smoke-free, you’re then 5 times more likely to stay quit for good. The main aim of Stoptober, which runs through October, is to get you to pledge to quit smoking for 28 days.

Stoptober offers a range of free support to help you including an app, daily emails, Facebook Messenger and lots of encouragement from the Stoptober online community on Facebook. In addition, you can get expert face-to-face advice from local stop smoking services. Those who use stop smoking aids and who get face-to-face support from their local stop smoking service are up to four times more likely to quit successfully.

Our Live Well advisors are on hand to help you quit this Stoptober, contact the team on 0116 454 400.

Last year’s Stoptober campaign £25 million was saved by the 160,000 people not buying cigarettes.