Queer as Smoke Kirklees aims to raise awareness of smoking in LGBTQ+ communities and promote local smoking cessation provision, including the offer of vaping in Kirklees.
Stopping smoking is a process with three steps:
- Step 1: Preparing to stop
- Step 2: Stopping
- Step 3: Staying stopped
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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.
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Support is available
If you live in Kirklees, Kirklees Wellness Service is the service for you. You can email them at wellness.service@kirklees.gov.uk or call them in 01484 234095. If you prefer you can make an online referral.
Your Feedback Needed
HealthWatch Kirklees want you to share your real-life experiences and opinions to shape the future of support for those on their journey to quit!
Fill out our survey below or for a more detailed chat (and a £10 voucher) provide your details to malcolm@thebrunswickcentre.org.uk and someone will give you a quick call.
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.
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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.
Tips for smokers:
Look for support
Your family, chosen family or friends can support your efforts to stop smoking by listening and talking to you, or suggesting rewards when you meet certain milestones. Having a strong support network can massively increase your success rate.
Reduce any financial stress
With the current price of a packet of 20 cigarettes anywhere between £11 – £18, the cost of smoking has never been more expensive. Quitting puts more money in your pocket instantly and you’ll be helping your monthly budget go that little bit further.
Take back control
As well as taking over your thoughts, smoking can take vast amounts of time out of your day. Even shopping for cigarettes or looking for somewhere to smoke and going outside for a cigarette takes up time. You’ll be free to chose how to spend your time and you’ll be able to do things your way.
Stop for your mental health
You may think that smoking supports your mental wellbeing, and helps you to relax, deal with stress and anxiety, and cope with life's difficulties. In fact, the opposite is true. Stopping smoking boosts mental health and wellbeing.
Don't get discouraged!
Quitting smoking is a challenging journey and can typically take an individual multiple attempts to quit for good. No matter what, you should feel pride in your journey.
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.
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