Stoptober a major success in the North West

Manchester-based Medical Specialists® Pharmacy are thoroughly pleased to report that a record number of smokers in Greater Manchester managed to complete this year’s Stoptober challenge in October.

According to Public Health England, 33,129 smokers across the North West managed to abstain from cigarettes for the full 28 day period of the challenge, but the real challenge next will be for these people to maintain this momentum and remain smokefree to not only boost their health, but their pockets too…let’s not forget that cigarettes are continuously going up in cost.

The 33,129 in the North West join around 215,947 people around the rest of the country that decided to take on the yearly stop-smoking event. A duration of 28 days is chosen as it is believed that those people who last for this time will now be five times more likely to remain smokefree.

Public Health England’s stats show that the North West is estimated to have had the second largest number of smokers signing-up to Stoptober in the Country, behind only the South East of England, with around 34,214 people signing up to the challenge.

With an increasing number of smokers deciding to stub out, the percentage of adult smokers within the North West has fell to under 20% for the first time in recent history according to information from the Integrated Household Survey 2014, which showed a smoking rate of 19.9%.

However, it seems the North of England is considerably smokier than its Southern counterparts. Data published by Public Health England has shown Blackpool has the unfortunate title of being Britain’s smokiest town, following a survey of the nation’s smoking hotspots.

Looking at the top 10 UK towns for smoking rates, nearly all are situated in the north of the country, with nearly three times as many adults smoking in the north compared to see areas of the south.

Blackpool had the highest rate of adult smokers with 26.%, and this follows just one week after the seaside resort was labelled the ‘UK’s drinking capital’ in a Government study of drinking habits across Britain.

Wokingham in Berkshire is able to boast being the town with the lowest rate of adult smokers, at less than 1 in 10.

Areas with the highest rate of adult smokers

1. Blackpool / 26.9%
2. Kingston upon Hull / 26.4%
3. Manchester / 25.8%
4. Salford / 24.4%
5. Nottingham / 24.2%
6. Blackburn with Darwen / 23.6%
7. Hartlepool / 23.4%
8. Wakefield / 23.4%
9. North East Lincolnshire / 23.3%
10. Brighton and Hove / 23.1%

Areas with the lowest rate of adult smokers

1. Wokingham / 9.8%
2. Richmond upon Thames / 11.2%
3. Windsor and Maidenhead / 12.1%
4. Hounslow / 12.3%
5. North Somerset / 12.4%
6. Cheshire East / 12.6%
7. Solihull / 12.6%
8. Harrow / 13.1%
9. Barnet / 13.2%
10. City of London / 13.3%

www.medical-specialists.co.uk