Welcome
Welcome to our SmokeFree Hull summer newsletter, packed with useful tips, service updates and projects, as well as the myths and facts of vaping, and a healthy summer recipe to support you on your smoke-free journey during the sunny months.
Service update
Service Manager Tracy
Stopping the start: A new plan to create a smoke-free generation
The government recently announced additional funding for local authorities as part of ‘stop the start’. By introducing this, the aim is to see the number of people who quit smoking double over the next five years. In turn, this will help the government to achieve its aim that England will be smoke free by 2030.
Data over the last five years shows most smokers want to quit, but cannot, due to an addiction to nicotine that started in their teenage years. More than 80% of smokers started before they turned 20, many as children.
Even though smoking rates in Hull have reduced over the years, Hull continues to have one of the highest smoking rates in the country. Recent government figures put Hull as having the second-highest smoking rate, with more than one in five people - 20.49% on average - having smoked in the last three years.
This additional funding will allow SmokeFree Hull to build on current support offered to the residents of Hull, work closer with community partners, and be creative and more innovative when engaging with people who smoke.
Look out for future updates!!
Meet the team
We extend a warm welcome to two new members of staff.
Fatima is part of our Administration team and will be one of the first people you speak to when contacting the service.
Tanya is a Stop Smoking Advisor who will be offering tailored one to one support to you and encouraging you throughout your smoke-free journey.
Both come to the service with years of knowledge and experience, and we love having them as part of the team!!
Meet the team
SmokeFree Advisor Tanya
- What do you like to do to in your spare time?
I like going to the gym, hiking, binging TV series, food, house interiors and anything to do with wellbeing and skincare.
- If you had to listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
This I cannot answer! I have a very eclectic taste in music.
- What job did you want to do when you were younger?
I wanted to be a professional athlete.
- Why do you enjoy working as a Stop Smoking Advisor?
I have always loved working with the public and supporting them with their needs. I am an ex-smoker myself and used a stop smoking service many years ago. They were so supportive in my journey of quitting for good, so now I know what a difference I can make supporting others too.
- What’s your favourite food?
Italian and Thai.
- Do you have any pets, and what are their names?
I have a house cat called Coco, who is my everything.
- If you could pick up a new skill or hobby in an instant, what would it be?
Play a musical instrument.
- What would be your idea of a dream holiday?
To travel around a country for a few weeks, then to finish off on an idyllic beach holiday to relax.
Workforce project success
Our smoke-free workforce project helps staff become healthy and smoke free at work, and it increases work productivity within local businesses, too.
Currently 18.9% of adults smoke in Hull, which cost local businesses £116.4 million in productivity losses in 2023 alone. With stop smoking initiatives now on the government’s agenda, companies can reinforce their commitment to staff health with our free smoking awareness sessions, staff training and onsite clinics.
Our support helps companies:
- Increase work performance and productivity.
- Reduce staff sickness, turnover, and exposure to second-hand smoke.
- Build a culture of care and increase work and life satisfaction.
- Reduce workplace cleaning and maintenance costs.
Training and onsite clinics
We offer free awareness sessions and bespoke training about the health effects of smoking and the benefits of quitting, as well as the treatments and support available from our specialist stop smoking service.
We can then offer onsite clinics at the company’s venue, to support staff to quit, plus telephone support as part of our 12-week treatment programme.
We’ve had great success with this project at Siemens in Hull, with six quits from their onsite clinic in the past six months already.
Anthony quit smoking after hearing about a friend start his smoke-free journey at the Siemen’s clinic and is now proud to say he’s smoke free too.
"I was starting to cough all the time, as my lung capacity was reduced. I was always cold or unwell, too. Now it doesn’t take as long to get over infections as it used to. I feel more energised, and it’s having a positive effect on my mental health too.
I’m doing everything I can to be healthier now. I’m going to start going to ParkRun and cycling,to build up more exercise like I used to do. I’m seven weeks smoke free now, and I’ve got to the point where I have more confidence to get out there and do things."
Read Anthony's story here.
To find out more, email [email protected] or call us on 01482 977617.
Get your workforce up to full force
Myths and facts about vaping
Vaping is a safer alternative to smoking and is proven to be one of the most successful quitting aids to help you stop smoking. Public health research states that it’s 95% safer than smoking tobacco, which is why we use it in our service as a ‘swap to stop’ stop smoking product.
There is lots of misinformation surrounding vapes and cigarettes within the media, so we thought we’d put your minds at ease to separate the facts from the myths.
Myth: Vaping is just as harmful as smoking.
Fact: Vaping is at least 95% less harmful than smoking cigarettes, as it doesn’t contain tobacco, carcinogens, or other harmful chemicals found in cigarettes. Switching completely to vaping, from smoking, significantly reduces exposure to toxins associated with cancer, lung disease, heart disease and strokes.
Myth: Nicotine is very harmful to health
Fact: Although nicotine is addictive, it is relatively harmless to your health. It is the many other toxic chemicals contained in tobacco smoke that cause almost all the harm from smoking.
Myth: Exposure to vapour from a vape is harmful to others.
Fact: Secondhand smoke from a cigarette causes serious harm to others, there is no evidence so far that vaping is harmful to those around you.
Myth: People vape more than they smoke – that must be worse.
Fact: Each puff on a vape carries a small fraction of the risks of a puff on a cigarette. Vaping generally takes longer for nicotine to reach the brain and the user needs to use it more frequently. The puffing behaviour of the user determines the level of nicotine taken into the body.
The volume is usually 2 mls – so a possible 40mg of nicotine (before it’s vaped) is contained in a vape, compared with approx. 10mgs of nicotine in an unburnt tobacco cigarette, meaning that a pack of 20 cigs = 200mgs nicotine (before it’s smoked).
Myth: Vaping is swapping one harmful addiction for another.
Fact: While vapes contain the same addictive substance as cigarettes, i.e. Nicotine, vaping nicotine is far less harmful than smoking tobacco.
Myth: Vapes are not regulated and we do not know what is in them.
Fact: In the UK, vaping products are tightly regulated for safety and quality. If you’re using a vape always buy from a reputable vape store, and avoid disposable vapes.
However, it is important to note, that vaping is not completely risk free. We only recommend using a vape for adult smokers to support them quitting smoking, and staying quit.
If you want to learn more about vaping, watch this great video from Yorkshire Cancer Research called Vaping Demystified.
Recipe
Staying healthy and smoke free means more than just stopping smoking. Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health and can help you feel at your best too.
In the summer there’s lots of fresh and healthy options to choose from, and our SmokeFree Hull Trainer Karen has a wonderful recipe to give you lots of energy. It's easy to make, too!
Sweet and sour salmon by our SmokeFree Hull Trainer, Karen
Sweet and sour flavours are often found in Asian food, but they’re also a popular combination in Italy, where this recipe is from.
It’s healthy, quick, only has a few ingredients, and can be grilled or barbecued – perfect summer food!
- 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons runny honey
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
- 4 salmon fillets, skin removed
- Make a marinade by whisking the vinegar and honey together in a non-metallic bowl. Add the oil slowly whilst whisking until combined. Stir in the garlic and parsley and season with salt and pepper.
- Place the salmon fillets in the marinade and cover with clingfilm. Leave for 15 minutes at room temperature making sure all sides get coated.
- Pre-heat the grill to high and line a baking sheet with foil.
- Remove the salmon from the marinade and grill for 6 – 8 minutes until the fish flakes easily – be careful not to overcook!
Get in touch
We’d love to hear from you!
The service is continuously adapting and developing, to make sure we’re providing the best service possible.
Your opinion matters to us, so please complete the survey to let us know how we’re doing.