Published at 07 January, 2020 14:57.
Following a significant 4.5% decline in the number of smokers in Sheffield in 2017/2018, Smokefree Sheffield is pushing on with their ambition this New Year with a new advert in a bid to encourage more smokers to quit this January.
The advert from Smokefree Sheffield, is told from the perspective of those who have lost someone from smoking, tells the people of Sheffield that “smoking doesn’t care about you, but we do”. With 1 in 2 people in the UK dying from smoking-related causes, the emotive advert highlights how the people around you are affected by a loss from a smoking-related death. Positioning smoking as the enemy, the advert then gives smokers hope to quit with the help of the local services available.
Launching on ITV on demand, out-of-home and across social media channels on 6th January, the advert is targeting people of Sheffield specifically to help them see the impact of smoking on those around them. Smokefree Sheffield will also be holding an event on 9th January next to the stop smoking service stall in The Moor Market.
The event itself will have stop smoking advisors on hand with advice and support for those ready to quit and be attended by partners alike to spread the message that ‘Smokefree Sheffield cares’ and has many ways to help smokers quit for good.
Smokefree Sheffield partners across the city, such as Sheffield City Council, Yorkshire Smokefree Sheffield and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, Sheffield Health and Social Care Trust are all backing the advert with local promotion, and the advert has also picked up traction on a regional and national level with support from Action on Smoking and Health and PHE Breathe 2025.
Councillor Mary Lea, Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Leisure at Sheffield City Council said, “People lose loved ones every day from smoking-related illnesses and we have an opportunity to do something about it. January is a pivotal time for people to take their first step to quitting and our Smokefree Sheffield advert shows how much we care about getting people the support they need. We have a strong network of partners across the city, all driving for the same goal, a smokefree generation by 2025, and we’re hoping this advert will help us get one step closer in 2020.”
Greg Fell, Director of Public Health Sheffield, “Tobacco kills around 16 people in Sheffield every week and every one of those people has loved ones, family, friends or colleagues who care about them. We want smokers to think about that when they go for their next fag break, about the people left behind and the impact it has on all their lives. Tobacco is a multi-billion pound industry, it doesn’t care about smokers or their families, it just destroys lives. We’ve made positive strides towards reducing the number of people smoking in Sheffield, but we have more to do and we are working hard with partners to support people in Sheffield to quit because we do care.”
