300 seek help to quit smoking

MORE than 300 Oldhamers visited the NHS Quit It bus when it drove into town to offer stop-smoking support and free health checks.

The mobile health clinic toured 22 locations in some of the poorest areas of Greater Manchester over the last seven weeks, raising awareness of the links between smoking, stroke and heart attacks and offering medical support and advice.

It prompted a number of people to request referrals to local quit-it services, while others made a check on their health through cholesterol, lung, body mass index and blood pressure tests.

The Quit It campaign is part of a major overhaul of services in a bid to improve the recovery chances of people who have a stroke.

Pat Karney, director of Smoke Free Greater Manchester, said: “This campaign has been fantastic in engaging people. The message of how smoking is directly linked to strokes and heart attacks is really important, as research shows that people who smoke are up to three times more likely to have a stroke than those who don’t.

“The statistics for Greater Manchester are staggering — more than 6,000 people are affected by strokes each year and approximately 5,000 people die of coronary heart disease.”

Dr Peter Elton, Greater Manchester director of public health for cardio-vascular disease, said: “I am delighted that so many people have responded to our campaign message that it is never too late to give up smoking.”