Smoking Survivors campaign: Fresh reveal North East smoking figures and encourage people to quit for new year
A dedicated UK programme for tobacco control is encouraging smokers to make quitting their new year’s resolution for 2025, as new North East smoking statistics are revealed.
Fresh will be running the acclaimed Smoking Survivors campaign again with support from North East local authorities and the NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board.
The campaign will be on TV, radio, outdoor and digital channels, encouraging people to quit from December 27th.
A survey from Fresh included data from over 1,300 smokers across the North East, revealing that 61% say their life would be better if they didn’t smoke, 61% are worried at not being there for loved ones because of smoking and 72% wish they’d never started smoking.
Ailsa Rutter OBE, director of Fresh and Balance, said: “If you smoke, even if it’s not every day, stopping for you and your loved ones is the most amazing thing you can do for them.
"You can find money you never knew you had and be around longer for them to see the important things in their life.
“If you feel like quitting on the spur of the moment then go for it – but chatting to your pharmacist or local stop smoking service can also give you tools and quitting aids to take away a lot of the stress, beat the cravings and let you live your life.”
Smoking survivor Sue Mountain from South Tyneside started smoking at the age of 11 and was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer at the age of 48. She said: “Smoking doesn’t just cost you your health - you spend tens of thousands of pounds on an addiction that gives you cancer.
“You lie to yourself that you love smoking – but it’s not really that but the power of the addiction, which is horrendous.”
The campaign is part of a commitment by all 12 North East local authorities and the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board for a smoke free future as set out in a declaration to reduce the death and disease caused by tobacco.
This comes after it was revealed that a new Tobacco and Vapes Bill will introduce a landmark law to stop children who turn 14 this year, or younger, from ever legally being sold cigarettes in England.