Queer as Smoke Calderdale aims to raise awareness of smoking in LGBTQ+ communities and promote local smoking cessation provision, including the offer of vaping in Calderdale. It is a partnership with Yorkshire Smokefree, The Brunswick Centre, and Calderdale Council Public Health.
Stopping smoking is a process with three steps:
- Step 1: Preparing to stop
- Step 2: Stopping
- Step 3: Staying stopped
There is a lot of support to help.
Did you know?
LGBTQ+ people are 46% more likely to smoke than the general population.
86% of LGBTQ+ people want to quit smoking.
Support is available
Yorkshire Smokefree Calderdale is inspiring a smoke-free generation in Calderdale. There are many ways Yorkshire Smokefree Calderdale can help including:
- Regular face to face meetings with one of their advisors.
- Regular telephone calls with one of our advisors.
- Video calls with one of our advisors.
- Using their online personal action.
All to help you on your journey to being smokefree.
Reasons to stop
There are many reasons to stop smoking. These will be individual to you. Some common motivators include:
- Improving Physical Health Quitting smoking has immediate and long-term benefits for your physical health. It reduces your risk of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, and respiratory illnesses. Your body begins to heal within days of stopping, leading to better overall health and increased energy.
- Reducing Financial Stress With a pack of cigarettes costing between £11 – £18, smoking is a costly habit. Quitting not only saves you money instantly but also helps stretch your monthly budget further.
- Taking Back Control Smoking consumes your thoughts and time, from shopping for cigarettes to finding places to smoke. Quitting frees up your time, allowing you to spend it how you choose.
- Boosting Your Mental Health Contrary to popular belief, smoking doesn't help with stress and anxiety. In fact, quitting smoking improves your mental health and overall wellbeing.
Whatever your reason, your family, chosen family, or friends can be your strongest allies in quitting smoking. They can listen, talk, and suggest rewards when you reach milestones. A strong support network can significantly boost your success.
Don't get discouraged, quitting smoking is a challenging journey that often takes multiple attempts. No matter how long it takes, take pride in your progress and stay committed to your goal.
Vaping
You don’t have to quit smoking on your own - vape kits are available to help you stop smoking. Yorkshire Smokefree Calderdale and Yorkshire Cancer Research are working together to offer smokers in Calderdale the option of using an e-cigarette to stop smoking.
Swap to Stop
Find out more about Swap to Stop and order a free vape kit.
Useful Videos
Smokers are three times as likely to quit using stop smoking services versus quitting alone.
Gay Times, 2021
As Queer people we are more likely to smoke than the general population. In fact, LGBTQ+ people are one and a half times more likely to smoke cigarettes than our straight counterparts.
Stu Hosker, Co-Founder, Queer Voices Heard