Smokefree Starts are launching their second campaign this November, focusing on the impact smoking can have on mental health. The partnership between all four local authorities within South Yorkshire and NHS South Yorkshire are working together to accelerate declines in smoking across the region and to save lives.
The campaign will be launched during Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month. 12.5% of men in England have a mental health disorder. We know that people with mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression and schizophrenia are up to four times more likely to smoke.
Research also suggests that men are more likely to use unhealthy coping mechanisms such as smoking when feeling worried or low, and people with mental health conditions tend to be more heavily addicted to smoking and need more support to quit because of the challenges they face.
Smokers may think that smoking provides relief from stress, anxiety, low mood and depression but the opposite is true. The perceived relief from these feelings is actually the effects of the tobacco withdrawal cycle.
Dr Zak McMurray Medical Director for Sheffield, NHS South Yorkshire and co-chair of Sheffield Health and wellbeing board said:
"Smokers with mental health conditions need to know that stopping smoking doesn’t have to be stressful. It is easier to stop with the right support and our stop smoking services in South Yorkshire have the expertise to get them through it. People often rely on willpower alone and this is the least effective method. It’s never been more important to have conversations about the impact smoking can have on mental health. This ensures people are offered and can accept help in a way that works for them.”
The campaign will address the myths and misperceptions surrounding the topic of smoking and mental health by targeting routine and manual workers. National data suggests that 1 in 5 people in routine and manual occupations smoke whereas 1 in 10 people in managerial positions smoke. Regional data from across the four regions in South Yorkshire shows that smoking prevalence was higher amongst men in routine and manual occupations, and referral rates into the local services were lower with this demographic. Data from Mental Health Foundation Association, England suggests that men are less likely to talk about poor mental health or take time off work for poor mental health.
The TV ad, which will air on ITV for over eight weeks from 18th November 2024 will show a manual worker who is trapped in a dependency cycle, struggling with life at home. It will show that he has embarked on his quit journey with a stop smoking service and he is also supported by a family member. The aim of this is to increase the number of people who seek support from a stop smoking service by engaging the individual, their family and friends.
The campaign will also run across Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok. The campaign will focus on seasonal triggers and stressors such as Christmas. The campaign will be running into January 2025, with the aim of encouraging new year quit attempts.
The website will have additional information - including case studies, real stories and dedicated resources for professionals. Real stories, in the form of interviews and animations, will be made available for use on GP screens and in leisure centres.
Smokefree Starts is working towards making services more accessible and the process of self-referral easier to understand for smokers in South Yorkshire, the Smokefree Starts website offers a one stop shop.
Services offer personalised quit plans and there are a variety of quit aids such as nicotine replacement therapy - patches or gum - and vapes available. People are three times more likely to stop for good with the support of a service.
Ben Anderson, Director of Public Health in Rotherham said:
“While rates of smoking are steadily declining, they are still high among people with mental health conditions. This is something that requires significant attention, as smokers with mental health conditions have higher levels of addiction and tend to die 10-20 years earlier than people without mental health conditions, high rates of smoking contribute to this. Stopping smoking means that people will live longer, healthier lives doing more of what they enjoy, but it will also lead to reductions in stress, anxiety and depression, improved positive mood and quality of life. Additionally, by stopping smoking people will become financially better off also saving at least £2,500 in a year. It has never been more important to dispel some of the commonly held beliefs people have - especially that smoking can only impact physical health.”
The campaign will run from 18th November to 13th January in Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham. For more information visit www.smokefreestarts.co.uk
Local support is readily available for those wanting to start their journey and there are free local services across Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley:
barnsley.yorkshiresmokefree.nhs.uk
doncaster.yorkshiresmokefree.nhs.uk
rotherham-healthwave.co.uk
sheffield.yorkshiresmokefree.nhs.uk