Quit-It bus seeks out smokers

Quit It Bus, designed to help people give up smoking, visits Tesco Westwood store. Left to right, Steve Winfield (Quit It), Shahida Begum, Helen Clayton (Quit It), Pat Aynsley.

A CAMPAIGN to help save lives through stubbing out smoking has been launched in Oldham.

The Quit-It campaign targets people across Greater Manchester who are at risk of stroke and heart disease.

And it uses a mobile clinic to reach people who live in some of the most deprived areas across the county.

In the form of a double-deck bus, its first stop was outside Tesco’s Westwood store.

It carries NHS nurses who will offer a range of health checks to find out who is at risk of the potentially killer conditions.

Over the next seven weeks, residents who jump on board will also be able to get advice on lifestyle changes, and those who need further treatment will be referred on.

Today and tomorrow, it will drive on to Tommyfield Market before leaving the borough for other parts of Greater Manchester.

Around 27 per cent of adults in Greater Manchester smoke, which puts them at risk of heart disease, cancer and stroke.

Pat Karney, director of Smoke Free Greater Manchester, said: “Many people remain unaware of the links between smoking and the risk of stroke and heart attack and it’s imperative that we get this message across.

“Cigarettes still cause untold suffering in our communities and initiatives like this enable us to reach out and make direct contact with people who require support to stop smoking and improve their lives.”

Smokers are up to three times more likely to have a stroke than non-smokers.

In Greater Manchester, up to 6000 people are affected by stroke each year and more than 5,000 die from heart disease.

Around 30,000 smokers have fatal heart attacks each year in the UK and one in five deaths from heart disease are associated with smoking.

Smoking is particularly dangerous for people who have high blood pressure, who are five times more likely to have a stroke than smokers with normal blood pressure, and 20 times more likely to have a stroke than non-smokers with normal blood pressure.

Alan Higgins, director of public health for Oldham, said: “There are many different factors that contribute to cardiac and stroke problems that are preventable such as smoking, diet and exercise.

“It’s never too late to stop smoking.”

For information on the Quit-It campaign, visit www.quit-it.org.uk  or text QUIT with your name and postcode to 81066 or call 0800 432 03 03.