Stopping smoking

Smoking is the primary cause of preventable illness and premature death in England. Giving up smoking is one of the most important things you can do for your health, and there’s lots of helpful information and support available to help you to stop smoking and stay quit.

Shropshire’s Healthy Lives Stop Smoking Service provides free, confidential support to help you quit smoking. For more information and to book an appointment, visit our support to stop smoking page.

NHS Better Health gives lots of useful information to help you understand the risks from smoking and how to successfully quit for good.

Healthier Together provides local advice for parents, young people, and pregnant women together with clinical resources to support healthcare professionals.  Find a range of helpful information, including stopping smoking to protect your child’s health, effects of smoking in pregnancy and support to stop smoking.

It’s never too late to quit! Quitting smoking will benefit your health whatever age you are and regardless of how long you've been a smoker. Quitting smoking improves physical health and boosts mental health and wellbeing by improving mood and helping to relieve stress, anxiety and depression. Looking after your mental health and wellbeing is just as important as looking after your physical health.  

There are some useful tools, quitting tips and advice and a range of stop smoking support options available including:

• TogetherAll a free, secure and anonymous online community for any Shropshire resident aged 16 and above who are stressed, anxious or feeling low.  It includes an active forum with round-the-clock support from trained professionals and a wide range of materials to help manage or improve your mental health
• Shropshire MHS providing a range of quality services for people affected by mental and emotional distress, including 24-hour support service, a range of groups and mental health café service, Calmer Café specifically designed for people who are struggling with their mental health
  
• A mental health and wellbeing support in Shropshire resource pack including the range of local and national support available that can help people address their mental health and emotional wellbeing needs
• STW Healthier Together provides helpful advice and information for parents, young people and pregnant women, as well as clinical resources to support healthcare professionals on a range of topics including mental health and wellbeing
• Every Mind Matters includes helpful information, expert advice and practical tips to help you stay on top of your mental wellbeing

Smoking in pregnancy

Many of the chemicals in cigarette smoke are dangerous and harmful to your unborn baby.  Protecting your baby from tobacco smoke is important in giving them a healthy start in life.  If you smoke, the best thing you can do for you and your unborn baby is to stop smoking, and it’s never too late to quit! 

There are lots of benefits to stopping smoking in pregnancy. These include reducing the risk of complications during pregnancy and birth and reducing the risk of stillbirth. Passive smoking is also harmful in pregnancy because you're breathing in smoke from other people’s cigarettes. If you can, try to avoid being around people who are smoking. 

Healthier Together provides advice for parents, young people and pregnant women, as well as clinical resources to support healthcare professionals.

The Shropshire Telford & Wrekin Healthy Pregnancy Support service (HPSS) offers healthy lifestyle in pregnancy support, including support to stop smoking and advice and support about healthy weight gain and lifestyle choices in pregnancy.

Contact the Healthy Pregnancy Support Service on 01952 565732  Monday - Friday 8.30am – 4.00pm for support with stopping smoking in pregnancy. Alternatively, ask your midwife to refer you. 

For expert advice, videos and tips on pregnancy, birth and beyond, sign up for NHS Better Health: Start for Life’s emails.