People in Staffordshire who want support to stop smoking are being reminded that help is at hand after a Leek resident was able to quit after 21 years of smoking.

The reminder coincides with National No Smoking Day on Wednesday 9th March, the annual campaign which encourages smokers to make a quit attempt.

This year's theme is "Don't give up on giving up".

The awareness day will remind smokers that every time they try to stop smoking, they are a step closer to success.

Staffordshire County Council's Public Health team is encouraging people who want help to quit smoking to access support from partner 'Everyone Health Staffordshire'.

Free telephone support sessions, face-to-face and virtual appointments, advice on managing cravings and access to medication are being made available to anyone aged 40 or over living in Staffordshire.

Last year the service helped 537 people to quit.

Peter Shepherd, aged 40, from Leek has managed to quit with the help of the service, after smoking for 21 years.

Peter said: "The mentoring side was the thing that helped the most, especially at the start. The phone calls have helped me to keep on track.

"I can't believe how well the patches and mouth spray worked. My complexion is better as well as lung capacity, smell, taste and I also feel cleaner.

"I was smoking up to 45 cigarettes a day, so saved around £800 over the 12 week period. I would recommend the service to anyone."

Chris Speed, Senior Smoking Practitioner from Everyone Health Staffordshire said: "It's never too late to stop smoking.

"Some of the people we have helped to quit have been smoking for over 50 years! Our service is designed to help people quit smoking for good.

"If you smoke, quitting is the best thing you can do for your health and the health of those around you.

"We offer free, one-to-one online, telephone and face-to-face support, tailored for each individual aged 40 and over.

"We can advise on choosing a suitable stop smoking medication and how to manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms. All stop smoking medication that we provide is free of charge too."

In Staffordshire it is estimated that 12% of adults still smoke.

73-year-old Rosemarie has also managed to quit smoking after 57 years thanks to the support from Everyone Health Staffordshire.

Rosemarie said: "I've had a great experience. My practitioner has been so kind and so nice and I really enjoyed talking to him.

"They have boosted my confidence and if I hadn't had anyone telling me I was doing well, I wouldn't have bothered.

"My breathing has improved, I have more energy, can walk further and just feel good in myself now.

"I would recommend the service to anyone, if they really want to quit smoking, this is the best way to do it."

Julia Jessel, Staffordshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Health and Care added: "We know that quitting smoking isn't easy but with the right help and advice it can be done.

"That's why we have teamed up with Everyone Health Staffordshire to provide that extra support.

"Many people will be aware of the serious effects of smoking on their health such as respiratory problems, heart disease, diabetes and cancer but what they might not be aware of is how quickly their health starts to improve from the moment they stop.

"Within hours, the carbon monoxide levels are starting to fall in the body, improving oxygen levels.

"Within days, breathing is improved and within weeks, circulation and blood pressure improve.

"Quitting smoking is definitely the best thing people can do for themselves and for their family and friends. I'd urge people to get in touch with the service and get that help to quit."

People interested in quitting can find out more about the support available from the Everyone Health Staffordshire website. People can also access support via the free NHS Quit Smoking App.

This is a 28 day programme that puts practical support and clinical support in the palm of people's hands. Search 'NHS Quit Smoking' in your app store.