This January London’s Smoking Cessation Transformation Programme (LSCTP) will deliver a new mobile-first digital campaign across the capital asking people to encourage their smoking friends and family to quit for the New Year.
The Stop Smoking London “Amazing Things Happen” campaign uses upbeat, inspiring messages around the benefits of quitting – such as more cash, energy and improved health. Built on insight which explored the wants and needs of 500 London smokers, it’s been designed to reach people on their mobile phones and during the times of day when they are most likely to be browsing and lighting up.
Newly published research conducted by researchers at UCL has shown how media campaigns like Stop Smoking London alongside specialist cessation support can work together to improve quit rates in large population groups. This research found the LSCTP pilot was linked to a 10 per cent increase in the quit attempt rate in London in the first year of operation.
Dr Somen Banerjee, Vice Chair of the ADPH London network and London Smoking Cessation and Tobacco Control Lead said: “We know that New Year is a time when many smokers will be planning to quit. Smokers also feel more motivated to quit when reinforced by friends and loved ones. We’d therefore like to use this as an opportunity to reach more Londoners by asking people to share this campaign with their smoker friends and family.
“We’re really pleased the Programme appears to be having a positive impact but smoking cessation still remains a high priority. Roughly 1 million adult smokers live in the Capital, nearly 1 in 6 of all of England’s smokers. Our ambition is to change smoking behaviour and raise quit attempts among the general population so London becomes a smoke-free city.”
Can you help? Share a link to the Stop Smoking London website with your Facebook friends. Or tweet a link to the website now.
To see what support is available visit www.stopsmokinglondon.com.
Stop Smoking London’s helpline advisors are trained to tailor your quit plan to best suit your needs. Call them today on 0300 123 1044.
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Notes to Editors
An ongoing series of national monthly surveys of smoking and quitting has found that implementation of the SSL programme was linked to a 10% increase in the quit attempt rate in the first year of its operation from 2017-18 and that this increase was sustained in its second year in 2018-19. The study was conducted by UCL, whose findings from the first year are soon to be reported in the medical journal, The Lancet. The second year’s findings are currently being written up for publication. The study compared the trends in quit attempts in London versus the rest of England in the years running up to initiation of the Stop Smoking London programme and the two years after initiation. This increase will have been largely attributable to the media campaign which focused on positive messaging around quitting. An increase of this size would be expected to result in an additional 3,000 or so quit attempts in each of the two years of operation.
Stop Smoking London was established as a collaboration between London local authorities in 2016. Their goal is to help Londoners quit smoking through online and telephone methods, complementing locally-determined services (such as face-to-face support).
ADPH London represents the Directors of Public Health in the Capital’s local authorities. Their primary aim is to create added value by taking a pan-London approach and tackle shared challenges together. In doing so they hope to achieve greater impact on the health of Londoners, reduce health inequality and generate better value for money and efficiencies.
The paper ‘Stop Smoking London Research – Values Modes-based Insight’ (August 2018) captured the views of 500 London smokers or recent quitters. The research looked at a range of attitudes in order to influence the design of the Stop Smoking London campaign and website. It looked at people’s motivations for smoking, smoking behaviours, timing of quit and smoker’s overall values and beliefs. A mixed methods approach was taken, including a panel survey, online survey and focus groups.
It found that the values of smokers aged 25-40 were found to have a high concentration of ‘Prospector values’. Prospectors – as determined by Values Modes methodology – are aspirational, motivated by status and social norms are key. Looks, the appearance of success, financial success, having ‘the best’ or appearing to have ‘the best’ are absolutely crucial for them.
Smokers were deemed to be most receptive to positive health messages and images and over half of those surveyed expected to quit in the next year.
Press enquiries
For all press enquiries, please contact Samantha Lasbury from Lambeth Communications
Stopsmokinglondon@lambeth.gov.uk
020 7926 9856 or 07714 773 094.