Smokers are falling short

10:05am Wednesday 15th November 2006

THE number of smokers quitting in Bolton has fallen behind the target set for the town by the Government.

Whitehall bosses had hoped almost 1,000 people in the borough would have stopped smoking between April and September this year with the help of health services, but figures reveal just 781 have stubbed it out.

Health bosses insist the quit rates are always poor at this time of year - and are confident they will be inundated with calls in January.

Rates of quitting smoking are higher in winter because of New Year's resolutions in January and National No Smoking Day in March. The stress of this summer's World Cup has also been blamed for fewer people stubbing it out.

Adrian Butterworth, manager of Bolton's Stop Smoking Service, said: "We are slightly below target, but we were in exactly the same position last year."

He added: "Giving up smoking is the biggest change someone can make to guarantee an improvement in their health and also put a lot more money in their pocket."

Last year, Bolton had the highest success rate in Greater Manchester for the first six months of the financial year. A total of 792 people managed to give up for four weeks or more - 66 per cent of people who had contacted the Stop Smoking Service.

Four people every week in Bolton are told they are dying of lung cancer, which is almost always caused by smoking.

And record numbers of people are being admitted to the Royal Bolton Hospital with the killer lung disease Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, the main cause of which is cigarettes.

The Bolton News launched our Stub It Out campaign after statistics revealed 29.6 per cent of people in the borough smoked, compared to a national average of 27 per cent.

Last February, MPs voted for a ban on smoking in enclosed public places including pubs, clubs and private members' bars. The new law comes into force next summer.