Quit smoking for 20 days and you could gain a week of life says North East Fresh
They are urging people to quit smoking in the New Year
Smokers across the North East are being urged to make quitting part of their New Year's resolution.
‘Every cigarette steals on average 20 minutes of life but quitting gives life back’ - that’s the message from Fresh ahead of New Year, a time when thousands of people make quitting smoking their New Year’s resolution.
They say New Year is the most popular time to make a quit attempt and the good news is quitting smoking can literally give you your life back.
Someone smoking 10 cigarettes a day who quits smoking on the 1st of January 2026 could gain a full day of life by the 8th of January.
This increases to a week of life by the 20th of February, and a month by the 5th of August. By the end of the year, you could have avoided losing 50 days of life.
Ailsa Rutter OBE, Director of Fresh and Balance, said: “Stopping smoking is the most amazing thing you can do for you and your loved ones so we’d urge people to make it their New Year’s resolution.
“Don’t be put off if you’ve tried before – millions of people who have quit smoking have had those ‘bumps’ before quitting for good. Treat failed quits as stepping stones because this time it can be different.
“January is a good time to quit as lots of other people are doing the same. Keep focused on the life you are gaining by quitting – that’s time to spend with loved ones and memories to be a part of. You’re more likely to quit with expert support so get free help from our fantastic stop smoking services – they can provide free quit smoking aids to help you ease the cravings and quit smoking for good.”
The message comes as Fresh launches the next phase of its Smoking Survivors campaign featuring real stories of people from the North East who have survived cancer from smoking including Sue Mountain from South Tyneside, Cathy Hunt from County Durham and Debbie and Sadie Thomas from Hartlepool, John Stephenson from Stockton and the late Maggie Bratton from Newcastle.
The campaign is part of a commitment by all 12 local authorities in the region and the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board to end smoking, with the North East having seen the biggest drop in smoking anywhere in England since 2005
Sue Mountain, 60, from South Shields, started smoking aged 11. She underwent laser treatment aged 48 after a biopsy revealed she had laryngeal cancer in 2012. The cancer then returned in 2015 and then again in 2017, but she is now cancer free. It took her several tries to quit smoking.
She said: “You can’t ever stop trying to quit because smoking will catch up with you sooner or later.
“I managed to take my life back from smoking, and you do quickly get to the point where you don’t want or need a cigarette. It’s worth it. Keep trying.”
John Stevenson, 50, a grandad from Stockton, suffered a sudden heart attack at the age of just 48 from smoking. He was in hospital for six days and worked with the Cardiac rehab team for six months. John now works in public health, helping people to quit.
He said: “I knew I needed to be around for my family. Before my heart attack, I was ready to roll my eyes at anybody who asked me whether I smoked because I thought I was doing other things to protect my health, like eating a good diet. But you realise what massive damage smoking is doing to your health.
“I have now been smokefree for nearly two years and the difference is incredible. I vaped to quit smoking, and it means if I get stressed, I have a puff on my vape rather than a cigarette. Don’t kid yourself, you can’t just have one cigarette otherwise you’re a smoker again - it is never just one.
“Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t succeed first, second or third time. Every time we try and don’t succeed it’s not a failure. Keep trying and you will get there.”
To get started people can visit FreshQuit.co.uk for tips, advice and information on local stop smoking services.