How we’re changing the habit of a lifetime – and living longer
Last updated 19:24, Thursday, 20 November 2008
A MARYPORT woman, who has smoked for 40 years, is one of thousands of West Cumbrians now kicking the habit.
Angela Kendall, 58, of North Street, a former mayor of the town, smoked about 16 cigarettes a day before she gave up nine weeks ago.
She said: “My cholesterol is down and so is my blood pressure. It’s also easier walking and food tastes much better.
“I decided to stop smoking because of health reasons and because cigarettes are so expensive.”
The latest figures from the Office of National Statistics show that life expectancy in Cumbria has risen by up to four years, thanks largely to reductions in smoking levels.
A typical Cumbria man will now live to 77.4 years and a woman to 81.6 years.
However, the gap between districts in Cumbria does not appear to be narrowing, with women in South Lakeland and Eden living to about 83, compared with 75.9 in Allerdale and 75 in Barrow.
Professor John Ashton, Cumbria’s director of public health, said that differences in life expectancy between the most affluent and most deprived areas of Cumbria could be as much as 20 years.
He said: “The figures are encouraging and show that people don’t need to be fatalistic. We can do something to make our lives longer and happier by taking responsibility for our own health and well-being.”
Barbara Bellis, programme manager for Cumbria Stop Smoking Service, said there were also likely to be big variations within Allerdale itself and even within specific towns.
She said: “Smoking is linked to social deprivation so you will find a higher number of smokers in places where people can least afford it.”
A recent report published by Action on Smoking and Health found that the differences in smoking behaviour led to inequalities in illness and mortality which have deepened over the last 30 years.
The report also found that smokers from disadvantaged backgrounds were just as likely to try to quit as affluent smokers but were less likely to succeed.
Mrs Bellis said: “Because there is a culture of smoking in these areas, people are more likely to continue to smoke. It is harder to quit when you are surrounded by people who smoke.”
One of the biggest single factors in the falling number of smokers was the ban on smoking in public places, effective from January 1 2007, she added.
Mrs Kendall said: “I hated standing outside on the street, particularly with the winter coming on. So the smoking ban was a major reason why I stopped.”
Patsy McMullen, who runs a stop-smoking group for young people at Salterbeck’s Oval Centre, said: “My experience of going into groups and working with young adults is that they do want to stop smoking.
“Youth workers are educating young adults so that people realise the damage that smoking does.”
Cumbria Stop Smoking Service has helped more than 1,100 people to quit since April 1.
Mrs Bellis said: “People can come to clinics to see a stop-smoking advisor. We provide support and advice.
“We can also offer the best smoking products to help with withdrawal symptoms. We work with the smoker to see what works best for them.
“When someone stops smoking there are immediate benefits. Within 20 minutes blood pressure and heart rate return to normal and within 24 hours carbon monoxide is out of your system.
“Even if someone has been smoking for a long time they can see the benefits quite quickly. It is never too late to stop.”
For help or advice on how to stop smoking, call 01900 324222.
