MORE than 3,600 people in Oxfordshire were helped by the NHS to quit smoking, new figures show.

A total of 6,065 people registered with the service in 2013/14, of whom 3,616 said they had managed to quit.

Of these, 2,770 were confirmed to have stayed cigarette-free following a carbon monoxide test four weeks after the completion of their stop-smoking course.

This was compared to 6,279 people in the previous year, of which 3,703, or 58.9 per cent, said they had quit with 2,721 confirmed by the test.

The Smokefree Oxfordshire service provides nicotine replacement therapy – like gums and patches – via GP surgeries and also visits local businesses.

The Oxfordshire-wide service is funded by the county council’s public health team.

The county council’s public health chief, Hilary Hibbert-Biles, said: “We know smoking is both incredibly bad for your health and a challenging habit to break, so with smokers four times more likely to succeed when they get support, the role Oxfordshire Stop Smoking Service plays is vital.

“The service has all kinds of ways of helping. Many people access it through their GP but the group sessions at workplaces are a good example of their innovative approach.”

For more details on the service, visit smokefreeoxfordshire.nhs.uk or call 0845 4080300 or 01865 787165.

 

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