To mark the beginning on Stoptober, we were invited by Asda supermarket in Shirley to deliver a health event stand promoting this excellent campaign. The purpose of the day was to try and encourage as many smokers to stop, or to support those who had chosen to quit on that day. We were also on hand to offer advice on local Stop Smoking Services for those who weren’t quite ready to commit to quitting.
We took along various resources to reinforce the benefits of stopping smoking, which included the Smoked Foot model (demonstrating the risk of developing gangrene through smoking) and Foul Mouth display (highlighting the impact smoking has on oral hygiene). We also utilised the Smokey Joe activity to illustrate the financial consequences of smoking.
We were also offering carbon monoxide testing throughout the day for smokers (and some non-smokers out of curiosity!) Understanding the levels of carbon monoxide in their body was a step towards deciding whether they wanted to quit. We handed out leaflets with their reading written on, what it meant for their health and where they could access support if they were ready to give up.
We had many conversations throughout the day with smokers who had already quit smoking; some had quit just a few months before and others had stopped for many years. They cited lots of different reasons for this, and the financial savings seemed to be a common explanation. Some remarked that they still craved a cigarette from time to time, so we gave them information on where they could still find support if they wanted it.
As well as being the start of Stoptober, a new law was also introduced on 1st October which made it illegal to smoke in cars with under 18’s present. In order to publicise it, we took along a baby in a car seat with a poster explaining the law. Everyone who spoke to us said they were in agreement with it and felt it was an important step towards improving the health of the next generation.
If you would like to book our Development Officers to deliver a similar event in your workplace or community venue, get in touch with us today to find out how we can help you!