Smoking remains the single biggest cause of preventable illness and death in England – linked to more than 60,000 deaths each year.
Between 2019 and 2020, 448,000 hospital admissions were attributable to smoking in England – costing the NHS almost £2bn a year in treatment.
This year’s Stoptober coincides with the first patrols of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust’s (NUH) new Smokefree engagement workers.
Akin Afolabi and Mohammed Khan are patrolling Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) and City Hospital, making smokers aware of the support available to help them give up or cut back.
Despite the Trust’s sites being Smokefree since 2006, smoking continues to be a problem and regularly draws complaints from staff and visitors.
Inpatients and maternity smokers are offered support via the NUH Tobacco Dependency Service, an initiative funded by NHS England. They’re offered nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT) and can be referred to a 12-week stop smoking programme; NUH staff are offered support via the Smokefree app.
“We are completely non-judgmental,” said Mohammed. “We know the hospital can be a stressful place, for staff, patients, and visitors alike – anything can happen in a day – we’re not there to remove smokers from the site, but just to make them aware of what support is available.”
Akin added: “We are aware that the smoking situation isn’t something we can change overnight but in time I hope we have a positive impact on smoking on the hospital sites and the health of the wider community.”
Akin and Mohammed will signpost people to stop smoking (smoking cessation) initiatives and support using the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training’s (NCSCT) Very Brief Advice (VBA) method. VBA is a life-saving intervention that triggers people to try to quit, and is recommended as evidence-based and cost-effective by the National Institute of Care and Excellence (NICE).
“Stoptober can serve as an excellent motivator because it provides a clear, time-bound goal, giving participants a sense of achievement once they complete the period,” said Akin. “It creates a supportive environment, with thousands of people quitting together, which can significantly boost motivation and success rates.”
Stoptober has helped more than 2.5m people give up smoking since its launch by Public Health England 12 years ago. Research shows that smokers are five times more likely to quit smoking if they join in Stoptober.
Government research found that smokers can expect positive changes as soon as two weeks after stopping, including having more energy (45%), feeling healthier (42%) and improved breathing (42%). All of these can help maintain good health as we head into winter and the flu season.
Zahida Niazi, Smokefree Lead at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We recognise that smoking is an addiction and some people find it difficult to stop. But smokers are not just putting their own health at risk, but the health of anyone around them.
“Smokers can vape on the grounds as an alternative to smoking. Vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking and passive vaping is not the same as passive smoking as vapes do not contain tobacco.”
