Stoptober 2024 Resources (staff, parents and carers, pupils)
Date: 5 Sep 2024
In England smoking causes 64,000 deaths a year, making it the biggest cause of preventable illness and death. In Swindon, an estimated 9.5% of the population still smoke equating to roughly 17,400 individuals. Action on Smoking and Health (2024) have estimated that when factoring in healthcare, social care expenditure, the spending related to fires and impact on productivity, the overall cost of smoking to Swindon is £154 million per year.
This year’s Stoptober is underpinned by the hopeful message that smokers who make it to 28 days smoke-free, or in this case through October, are five times more likely to quit for good. You will see that the promotional material that is available for download (some material is available for free, bulk postage to you) from the Department of Health & Social Care captures this message in many striking formats. Please consider ordering and display these posters within staffrooms and consider having them available at parents evenings.
As ever, Swindon’s local stop smoking service remains ready to support individuals throughout their quit attempts with behavioural coaching for up to 12 weeks. A full suite of smoking cessation options is available through Live Well, with support ranging from guidance on nicotine replacement therapies, carbon monoxide testing to the management of cravings: Stop smoking service | Swindon Borough Council .
More information on our Stoptober activities in Swindon will be announced soon, but for now, the resources for the forthcoming Stoptober Health Campaign are here: Stoptober 2024 | Campaigns | Campaign Resource Centre (dhsc.gov.uk). You can also download the Stoptober Partners’ toolkit here.
Do also consider using Stoptober as a discussion point in PSHE lessons. Swindon Borough Council has recently developed smoking and vaping resources for year 6 pupils, and resources from ASH and the Alcohol Education Trust are also available on the Swindon Healthy Schools website: https://www.swindonhealthyschools.org/resources/drugs-alcohol-and-tobacco-education-resources/
Perception data is also powerful for pupils. Far fewer of their peers smoke and vape than they realise. The following 2-3 minute videos outlining the results from the How are You? Year 8 and Year 10 surveys are an effective way to highlight this point to pupils:
Year 8 Survey Video
Year 10 Survey Video
