Stub It Out For 2008

More smokers in Wales than ever before using cessation services. Smokers were today urged to make giving up their number one New Year's resolution by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for Wales, following the success of smoking cessation services in Wales in 2007.

Dr Tony Jewell's advice comes after figures showed that 2007 has been the best year so far for Stop Smoking Wales, the service funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and provided by the National Public Health Service to help smokers quit.

There was a 20 per cent increase in people wanting to give up in response to the introduction of smoke-free legislation, bringing the total number of people contacting the service to over 25,000 since 2004.

Around 70 per cent of smokers want to give up, and around half of those going through the Stop Smoking Wales programme succeed in quitting smoking for good – meaning they are four times more likely to give up with help than if they go it alone.

Dr Jewell said:

"While the number of adult smokers is falling, there are still 6,000 premature deaths each year due to smoking. A quarter of adults in Wales still smoke – more than the UK average – and children are taking up the habit around the age of 12.

"There is no disputing the devastating effects of smoking on the individual or their family and friends. In particular, I'd urge those who expose children to second-hand smoke to give up. More mothers-to-be smoke in Wales than in any other part of the UK and over a third of households with children still contain a smoker.

"Many people have already given up thanks to Stop Smoking Wales, but there are many thousands more who want to give up who have yet to use their services."

Julia James, Stop Smoking Wales National Co-ordinator, said:

"Stop Smoking Wales offers free, friendly help to people who want to stop smoking. Smokers are four times more likely to stop smoking for good with help from our service than they are if they go it alone. "

Dr Jewell added:

"While smoking prevalence in Wales has fallen from 35 per cent in 1978 to 25 per cent today, we need to maintain our efforts to see further reductions.

"We should be aiming for an intermediate goal of 17 per cent prevalence as has already been achieved in Sweden and California. Stop Smoking Wales is a key part of these efforts."