Knowsley tops chart for quit-smoking success

Oct 17 2007 by Liza Williams, Liverpool Daily Post

MORE people have successfully quit smoking in Knowsley than in any other area of England, according to new figures.

The borough has topped a chart of the country’s 152 Primary Care Trusts for the amount of people who have kicked the habit, with Liverpool also performing well in seventh place.

The results, published by the Department of Health, are based on the numbers of people per 100,000 quitting during April to September of this year. In Knowsley, 560 per 100,000 quit and in Liverpool, 387.

Experts say the success in both areas can largely be attributed to a pioneering scheme developed by the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation known as the Fag Ends service.

Introduced in Knowsley last year and in Liverpool in 1999, the service provides smoking cessation drop-in groups every week at a range of venues across the area.

Chris Owens, head of tobacco control at the RCLCF, said: “Liverpool and Knowsley have traditionally had high rates for health-related issues, including the diseases associated with smoking and alcohol, so this is a tremendous result for the health of the people of Knowsley and Liverpool.”

Paul Steele, manager of the Knowsley Fag Ends service said: “We are delighted with the figures, and at Fag Ends we support people in a unique way.”

Miriam Bell, manager of the Liverpool Fag Ends service added: “It’s fantastic that both ourselves and Knowsley have done such positive work in the areas with the Fag Ends service.”

More about the Fag Ends service is at www.roycastle.org.

lizawilliams