More than 750 people in York joined a quarter of a million people across the nation in turning their back on cigarettes this month in the mass 28-day stop smoking challenge, Stoptober.

Research shows that stopping smoking for 28 days can extend your life by up to one week if you remain smokefree.  The new ex-smokers from York are therefore celebrating their first steps towards a healthier, smokefreelife, and if they succeed in quitting for good, they could collectively add more than 14 years of life to the city’s population.

Taking part in Stoptober has reaped additional benefits:

·The average smoker has 13 cigarettes a day, which equates to 364 cigarettes every four weeks.  Stoptober would have saved them £141 each over four weeks and if they remain smokefree they could save £423 by Christmas and £1,696 in a year.

Collectively, if all Stoptober participants in York quit for the 28 days this month they would have saved £106,314.

·With the average cigarette taking approximately four minutes to smoke [5], this Stoptober could have saved the average smoker over 24 hours by not smoking; and cumulatively the nation’s Stoptober participants would have gained over 680 years in spare time.

Dr Paul Edmondson-Jones, City of York Council’s Director of Health and Wellbeing said: “Congratulations to everyone in York who took on the Stoptober challenge and managed not to smoke.  I’m sure you will be breathing easier and your sense of taste and smell will have improved, and you will have saved lots of money.”

Backed by a huge number of supporters – including celebrities, charities, sports clubs and stop smoking services – Stoptober has helped thousands of people try and stay free from cigarettes through support packs, a 28 day app, social media activities and tips and advice from a host of celebrity well-wishers.

Stoptober started on 1 October 2013 and ran for 28 days. Research shows that those who stop smoking for 28 days are five times more likely to stay smokefree. Last year saw over 160,000 people successfully complete the four-week challenge.

It is not too late to start your own 28-day challenge – for more information and to download the Stoptober app visit <a href=”http://www.stoptober.smokefree.nhs.uk/”>http://www.stoptober.smokefree.nhs.uk/</a>.