IT costs Swindon £48 million a year and the people of the town are said to be the worst in the region at kicking the habit.

But a new drive which encourages smokers to dump their cigarettes begins today and runs throughout the month.

The NHS’ Stoptober campaign uses the theme of a relationship break-up to deliver its message. Thousands around the country are hoping to ‘split up with smoking’ for 28 days – and have been told if they achieve it then they are five times more likely to quit for good.

Stephanie Taylor, the chair for the Swindon Stop Smoking Service and the cardiac rehabilitation coordinator at the Great Western Hospital, is backing the initiative.

She said: “It’s all about stopping smoking for the month and if they do it for 28 days, they’re more likely to stop completely.

“We’ve had conversations with people about stopping and we had people sign up there and then at our meeting on smoking.”

As well as the health risks, a recent study by Action on Smoking and Health, a leading anti-smoking charity, estimated that smoking costs Swindon close to £50 million a year through NHS costs, sick days and work-time breaks.

Stephanie added: “All (GWH) hospitals went smoke-free in January this year.

“It sends a powerful message that we take smoking seriously as it's harmful to people’s health. A lot of smokers actually want to stop and have tried before but it’s about getting the help to do it.

“We are all working hard to get the culture changed.

“There have been good things happening with young people in Swindon so not all is lost.”

There is much work to be done. Public Health England found 17.7 per cent of Swindon’s population smoked last year, compared with the south west’s average of 13.9 per cent.

Of that number, only 1.1 per cent – the lowest in the region – were able to give it up in 2017/18, using the NHS four-week quit success criteria.

The government has set an ambitious target of ending smoking in England by 2030.

Data analysis by Frontier Economics for Philip Morris Limited – a multinational cigarette and tobacco manufacturing company – shows Swindon ranks in the bottom 25 per cent when it comes to he likelihood of achieving this goal.

Mark MacGregor, a director of external affairs at Philip Morris Limited, said: “They will miss this target by 10 years, all things are pointing to that unless things change drastically.

“I think it’s an important time of the year. I think the Stoptober campaign is positive and it’s the only campaign in the world where it features E-cigarettes.

“It’s not just about quitting it’s about switching which is more realistic and not lecturing smokers about quitting.”

Smoking can cause cancer, strokes, asthma and heart attacks.

In the last year there have been 1,752 per 100,000 patients admitted to hospital in Swindon with smoking-related health issues.

Again, this is much higher than the rest of the region – which averaged 1,409 per 100,000 – as well as England’s figure of 1,530.

The Adver reported last week that one in eight women in Swindon smoke while pregnant.

This can put the baby at risk of being miscarried, born prematurely, cause a stillbirth or complications later in its life.

But breaking up is hard to do, as those behind the Stoptober campaign admit.

Mark said: “I think some smokers feel lectured at, I think smokers need help. They don’t need to be lectured because it’s an incredibly difficult thing to do.”

Stop smoking advisor for Swindon Borough Council Manuel Bueno said: “Stoptober is a great time to think about quitting smoking and we know that for some people it may take more than one attempt to quit before they are successful.

“We hope to be able to help more people as a result of the launch of Stoptober again this year.”

For more information, visit www.nhs.uk/oneyou/for-your-body/quit-smoking/stoptober/

'Cold turkey is not the answer'

ALTHOUGH smoking rates in Swindon paint a negative picture, cigarettes are becoming a rarer sight in the town.

The latest Office for National Statistics data shows that 17.7 per cent of people aged 18 and over in Swindon were smokers last year.

The rate has fallen since 2012, the first year local data was collected, when it stood at 20.4 per cent.

The local trend broadly reflects that across England, where the smoking rate hit a seven-year low of 14.4 per cent – leading Public Health England to declare that a smoke-free generation is in sight.

Stephanie Taylor, chair of the Swindon Stop Smoking Service, offered some advice to those thinking of giving up during Stoptober.

She said: “The research shows that the best way is getting support with a specialist advisor on stopping smoking. Along with the right medicine like nicotine replacement therapy.

“The worst way is going cold turkey as it is the least likely way because of that addiction. To treat that addiction you need medicine and support. Some people can do it cold turkey because they are just that strong-minded but all the evidence shows that’s the worst way.”

Vaping and smoking E-cigarettes are said to be effective ways of kicking the habit.

Mark MacGregor, the director of external affairs at Philip Morris Limited, a multinational cigarette and tobacco manufacturing company, said: ”The smoke is what is so dangerous because you’re breathing in the smoke rather than just taking the nicotine.

"These new inventions will enable smokers to quit."

Babies and pets at risk

PETS and babies are at risk of health problems caused by passive smoking.

The average cat or dog smokes 3,285 cigarettes per year when their owners are smokers.

Public Health England found that 20 per cent of pet owners admitted that their cat or dog have even eaten cigarettes or smoking-related items in the past.

Passive smoking is said to be just as dangerous to pets as it is for people and increases their chances of getting cancer.

This is according to research found by MORE TH>N ahead of Stoptober.

According to NHS data, one in eight women smokes during their pregnancy in the Swindon Clinical Commissioning Group area.

In the first three months of this year 77 out of 661 mums who gave birth were smokers, as the Adver reported last week.

Smoking while pregnant can cause stillbirths, miscarriages, premature birth and unexpected deaths in infancy.

Great Western Hospital moved to deal with this issues after taking on a specialist stop smoking midwife, Corinne Mildiner.

Corinne said: “I came into post at the beginning of September as there hasn’t been one in three years.

“It’s a new set-up for midwives and it means that pregnant women who smoke will receive support by a specialist midwife.

“It’s the single biggest modifier and it’s something that can be changed with support.

"We are hoping people will find it easier to engage with a midwife on the topic of smoking.”