SMOKERS in East Sussex are being urged to take the Stoptober challenge and join thousands of others who are committing to quitting for the month of October.

The annual national campaign encourages smokers to quit for 28 days during October, making it five times more likely they will quit for good.

To help people kick the habit, stop smoking support is available across East Sussex through the One You East Sussex service, with free quit aids as well as 1:1 in person, digital, or telephone support available.

Smokers in Hastings and Eastbourne can also join a pilot scheme of the Allen Carr Easyway Stop Smoking Intervention programme through the council’s stop smoking service.

This innovative, drug-free method has been helping people to stop smoking for over 40 years.

There are over 68,400 smokers in East Sussex. Hastings has the second highest number of adult smokers in England with 19.8 per cent of adults lighting up. 14.6 percent of adults smoke in Eastbourne, slightly above the national average of 14.1 per cent.

Across the county, Wealden has the lowest smoking rate for adults at 11.2 per cent, with 12.4 per cent of adults smoking in Lewes followed by 13.2 per cent in Rother.

Darrell Gale, Director of East Sussex Public Health, said: “Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for your health, and the evidence shows that if a smoker makes it to 28 days smoke-free, they are five times more likely to quit for good.

“Stopping smoking can be tough but there’s no need to go it alone. It’s much easier to stop smoking when you get the right support.

“I’m proof that you can quit successfully, having stopped smoking using Allen Carr’s Easyway method myself 27 years ago.

“Stoptober is the ideal time to get the help required so you can kick the habit, and with the free support offered by One You East Sussex you are more likely to quit for good.”

Stopping smoking has immediate and lasting benefits to health. After just eight hours harmful carbon monoxide levels in the blood will have reduced by half. After 48 hours a smoker’s sense of taste and smell will improve. After two to 12 weeks circulation will have improved, and after three to nine months lung function increases by up to 10 per cent.

Mr Gale continued: “Since it first launched in 2012, Stoptober has helped over 2.5 million people stop smoking.

“It’s never too late to quit. Even if you’ve tried quitting before, give it another go this Stoptober.”

To find out more about the help available to stop smoking, visit https://oneyoueastsussex.org.uk/programmes/stop-smoking/.

The Hastings Allen Carr Easyway session will be held on September 28; to book visit www.allencarr.com/location/east-sussex-hastings/.

To book a place on the Allen Carr Easyway seminar in Eastbourne on September 29, visit www.allencarr.com/location/east-sussex-eastbourne/.

Once these sessions are fully booked, people will be added to a waiting list and contacted about further seminars in the future.