SMOKERS in Merseyside are giving up the habit at three times the national average, new figures revealed last night.
The tide may finally be turning in Merseyside’s long-running battle against lung cancer and heart disease, with the region now leading the way in the numbers quitting.
New figures reveal Knowsley and Liverpool rank first and third in England for the percentage of people who have given up cigarettes.
The news is a huge relief for local health authorities who are endeavouring to reduce some of the highest lung cancer and heart disease death rates in the country.
More people kicked the habit in Knowsley per 100,000 of the population than anywhere else in the country between April and September last year, with a figure of 1,179 – almost three times the national average of 401.
And Liverpool came third in the NHS league table of English Primary Care Trusts with a figure of 841 per 100,000 people.
Figures which chart those who have stayed away from cigarettes for four weeks and above, are also higher than average in Sefton, Halton and St Helens.
They follow an announcement that Liverpool-based Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation has been called on by NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) to help create guidelines on giving up smoking.
The Roy Castle foundation runs Fag Ends, a support service central to the region’s strategy to reduce smoking.
Christine Owens, head of tobacco control at the Foundation, said: “This is a huge health priority for the area, with rates of lung cancer being very high, and both Knowsley and Liverpool PCTs have invested a huge amount of money into tackling the problem.
“I firmly believe that making services easily accessible is key.
“In Liverpool and Knowsley, people can just turn up and be supported by the service at a drop-in centre or they can be referred by a GP, there are many ways.
“We always welcome people back if they have hit a stumbling block and I would encourage everybody to come forward if they want to quit.”
In Knowsley, there are 34 Roy Castle Fag Ends drop-in clinics, with sessions run by smoking advisers who are often ex-smokers themselves and understand the difficulties.
In addition, people can attend free consultations at 32 local pharmacies for advice on nicotine replacement therapy products or sign up for one of 47 workplace stop smoking schemes currently in operation.
In Liverpool, there are 51 venues where people can access the stop smoking service at different times of the day and at weekends.
Diana Forrest, director of public health for Knowsley PCT, said: “It is fantastic news that so many smokers in Knowsley have accessed support and been able to quit.
“Our services are all about helping people to quit, not giving them a lecture.
“However, research shows that many smokers quit at the third or fourth attempt and therefore we are continuing to broaden our services so that when people are ready to quit, they have convenient, accessible support available for them.”
Dr Paula Grey, director of public health for Liverpool, added: “The first six months of this year have seen almost 4,000 people quit smoking in Liverpool, which is great news and a significant move towards a healthier city.
“The success that we have seen in the numbers of people quitting is largely due to the groundbreaking work between Liverpool PCT and Fag Ends, which started over 10 years ago, as well as the support that we have had from many of our partners and front line staff across the city.
“It is thanks to this pioneering work that Liverpool is now reaping the rewards.”
FOR more information on quitting smoking, contact 0800 195 2131.
OPINION: PAGE 6
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