Portsmouth smokers offered free support to quit this Stoptober

Smokers in Portsmouth are being encouraged to quit this Stoptober with free support from the City Council’s Wellbeing Service.

The service has been running for more than a decade and has supported over 10,000 quit attempts.

Residents can access support over the phone or at drop-in sessions across the city, with the Wellbeing Service offering expert advice as well as access to stop-smoking products, medication and free vape kits for people aged 18 and over.

Portsmouth City Council says 12.7 per cent of people in the city currently smoke, a higher proportion than the England average.

The council says it hopes smoking rates will continue to fall, including through the introduction of the government’s Smokefree Generation policy.

From 1 January 2027, the sale of tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 is due to become illegal.

The minimum age for buying tobacco would then rise by one year each year, gradually preventing future generations from legally purchasing tobacco products.

According to figures released by the council, 66 per cent of people in the South East support the policy.

It also says 74 per cent of people who have previously smoked say they would not have started if they could go back in time.

The policy is expected to prevent around four million young people from accessing tobacco over the next five years.

Helen Atkinson, Director of Public Health at Portsmouth City Council, said: “Smoking remains one of the biggest causes of preventable illness and early death, which is why this legislation is such an important step forward.

“The Smokefree Generation will help protect children and young people from the harms of tobacco and reduce the likelihood of future generations becoming addicted to smoking in the first place.”

People wanting help to stop smoking can contact Portsmouth City Council’s Wellbeing Service on 023 9229 4001 or visit the Wellbeing Portsmouth website.

Five practical tips that can make quitting smoking or vaping easier:

1. Pick a quit date and prepare for it. Remove cigarettes, vapes, chargers, lighters and anything else that makes it easy to relapse.

2. Use nicotine replacement if you need it. Patches, gum, lozenges or sprays can reduce cravings. For many people, combining a patch with a faster-acting product works better than using one alone.

3. Identify your triggers. Stress, alcohol, coffee, driving and social situations can all trigger cravings. Plan a replacement habit such as chewing gum, going for a short walk or drinking water.

4. Get support. You are more likely to quit successfully with help from a stop-smoking service, pharmacist or GP than by relying on willpower alone.

5. Treat a slip as a setback, not a failure. If you smoke a cigarette or use a vape, work out what triggered it and restart your quit attempt straight away rather than giving up completely.

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