Stoptober is back for 2026, and Westmorland and Furness Council is continuing to offer a wide range of free support to help people stop smoking this October and beyond. Smoking remains one of the leading causes of preventable illness and death but the good news is that if you stop smoking for 28 days, you’re five times more likely to quit for good. After just 48 hours your sense of taste and smell will be improved and after 1 year your risk of heart attack will have halved.
Quitting smoking doesn’t just improve your own health and wellbeing: when you quit your family wins too. Whether it’s being there for loved ones, protecting them from second hand smoke or simply having more money to spend on the things that matter, stopping smoking can have a positive impact on those around you. The NHS Quit Smoking App offers hints and tips and allows you to track your progress and the financial savings you make from day one.
Tailored support is available through participating local pharmacies across Westmorland and Furness. This includes a personalised quit plan and up to 12 weeks of free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), such as patches, gum or lozenges.
The council's dedicated Stop Smoking Support Service offers personalised support, expert advice and 12 weeks of free NRT or e-cigarettes - to give smokers the best possible chance of quitting successfully.
Alternatively, for people looking for a non-nicotine approach, Westmorland and Furness Council also provides free access to Allen Carr's Easyway online programme, a proven digital stop smoking method. Allen Carr's Easyway books are available at all Westmorland and Furness libraries, while eBook and eAudio versions can be accessed through the library service's BorrowBox app.
The NHS provides an online Personal Quit Plan which can help you find the products and support most suitable for you. It will also help you prepare for your quit date, see how much money you could save and understand your triggers and how to manage them.
Katrina Stephens, Director of Public Health, Strategy and Community Wellbeing said:
"Stopping smoking is one of the most important things you can do to improve your health and wellbeing. People are much more likely to quit successfully when they combine stop smoking aids with expert support and advice.
If you have been thinking about stopping smoking, Stoptober provides a great opportunity to take that first step. Our Stop Smoking Service is here to provide personalised support throughout October and all year round.
Many people make several attempts before they quit for good. It’s important to remember that every attempt gets you one step closer to better health and a smoke-free future.”
Westmorland and Furness Council is also raising awareness of the available support through a new partnership between its Smoking Cessation and Licensing teams.
Licensed taxi vehicles across Westmorland and Furness are being provided with specially branded No Smoking stickers. Taxi drivers are legally required to display no smoking signage to remind passengers that taxis are smoke-free environments. New stickers, signposting passengers to free local stop smoking support services, will be provided to them free of charge by the licencing team when their licence application or annual renewal is approved.
Westmorland and Furness Council is committed to achieving smoke-free status by 2030, meaning fewer than 5% of residents smoke. Reducing smoking across the area remains a key public health priority and forms part of the council's wider ambition to improve health outcomes and reduce inequalities.